Villains are just the Hero of their own story
by Operative18
Summary: What happens if Izuku was under All for One's control when he was young? Would he be able to escape All for One's grip, or be a villain forever? Villain Deku AU, where Deku and Izuku are split personalities.
1. A Simple Choice

_**League of Villains Lair**_

"Sir, here are some possible new recruits." a black misty figure gave a file to a man in a simple suit who looked over its contents.

"Yes, these ones show promise. Have them brought here as soon as you can, Kurogiri."

"Yes sir. Also, one of our contacts in the school system thought that you might be interested in this individual." Kurogiri held out a smaller file, which the man took and looked inside.

"... For what purpose did he think I'd be interested in this young man?" The file slapped shut and was handed back to Kurogiri.

"He said something about "possible potential", I believe."

"That boy will not be useful to me in any way. Not only does he idolise All Might, but he's far too... unless. Let me see that again." The file was handed back to him, and he flipped through it, studying intently. "... It might just work... yes, this would be- Bring Tomura here. It's time he made a new friend."

_**Izuku, Age 7**_

"Stupid Deku." Bakugo laughed as he walked off, leaving a bruised Izuku on the playground dirt. Izuku picked himself up and wiped away the tears from his eyes. It always hurt the worst when Bakugo fought him.

"That guy's a jerk." Izuku turned around to see a boy with pale skin and a black t shirt behind him. "He'd be a great villain someday."

"D- Don't say that! Kacchan's gonna be a hero, a really strong one! He'll-"

"Do you want to be a villain?" At this, Izuku stood still, wondering if he just actually heard those words. "I know you don't have a quirk, you would've used it to stop him if you did. My master could give you one if you want. You just need to become a villain."

"... I- I can't-"

"You wouldn't have to hurt anybody if you don't want to. He says you'd be useful for other stuff. You want to be stronger, right?"

Izuku thought about this, and then shoved the boy away.

"I'm not gonna be a villain! Ever! I'm gonna be a hero, just like All Might!" And he ran off, leaving the boy behind him. He ran until he got to the old creek that Bakugo and him just to play at back when they were good friends. He sat on the dirt and just thought about everything that had happened. He had been siting for about five minutes when he heard a bunch of twigs snap. Looking up, he saw Bakugo's group of friends minus Bakugo.

"W-what do you guys want?"

"We're here to teach you a lesson, Deku." At this, the group surrounded Izuku and started to beat him up. Izuku curled up in a ball to protect himself, but all it did was give them an easier target. Once they had stopped, he began to cry.

"Stupid deku. You'll never get a quirk, you'll be weak forever." As they walked off, Izuku uncurled himself and sat on his knees. After a minute or so of crying, he heard someone else approaching. He looked up and saw Tomura.

"You want to be stronger? Follow me." He pulled out a tiny remote and pressed a button on it. At this, a swirl of purple and black energy formed in front of them, and he looked back. "I talked to him, and he says you wouldn't need to be a villain if you don't want to."

Izuku stared on and a thousands thoughts flooded his mind. How he was told he'd never have a quirk, how he wanted to be like All Might, how he couldn't be without a quirk, all the things Bakugo had called him. _**Weak, quirkless, worthless, stupid Deku.**_ He wiped the tears from his eyes, got up, and the pair walked through. The other side had a single large room with a figure in front of the two.

"Hello Izuku." The man in front of him wore a black suit and was laid back in a chair large enough to call a throne. The only other in the room was a shadowy figure wearing a bartender uniform. Tomura simply went stood next to the man who looked down at Izuku.

"H-Hi." Izuku was terrified, but he was already this far and he was unsure how to leave without something going wrong.

"Do you know who I am?" The man's voice was powerful, authoritative, giving Izuku chills up his spine.

"You're a villain who gives people quirks... right?" Izuku was beyond nervous at this point, and the man laughed slightly.

"Indeed, child. I am All for One. This is Kurogiri, my business partner and you've already met Tomura, my apprentice. Now you, you I have great plans for, my boy. I learned about you from an associate. I understand you're very smart and can memorize all kinds of things."

"Yeah, I can." Izuku gripped the edge of his shirt, regretting this but not having many options..

"I need someone to act as an insider, to collect information. That's all you'd need to do. Go to certain places and learn certain things about certain people. You do that, and the quirk I give you will make you strong. That's what you want, right? To be stronger, just like All Might?" The man held his hand out, and Izuku walked forward slowly.

"I don't want to be a villain, though. I just want to get stronger. I want to be a hero." At this, All for One sat back a bit and smiled.

"Understandable. There are others I can use for this role if you don't want to join me. You may leave if you wish, but your quirk will still be granted to you if you want. As a gesture of good faith." All for One stretched his hand out again, and Izuku slowly reached out and gripped it.

"You're quite a dedicated young man, Izuku." At this, several red lines of energy flowed from All for One and Izuku felt a large pain through his body. "However, I'm afraid I have other plans for you." Izuku spasmed on the ground, while small bursts of fire emerged from his hands, cracking the ground where they hit.

"Sir, what did you give him, exactly?" Kurogiri looked on with concern and panic.

"Hellforce, a fire type quirk that can inflict force damage on anything. And a byproduct quirk I made myself: Dark Mind. It brings his worst emotions and thoughts together to form a dual persona. He'll need some time to learn to master his fire, but now he'll be the perfect villain." After a while, Izuku stopped screaming and lay still.

"Is he dead?" Tomura asked as All for One looked on at Izuku's unmoving form.

"Possibly... Izuku?" All for One leaned down and Izuku slowly got to his knees. Opening his eyes, the once green irises were now red. He smiled widely and chuckled.

"... Call me Deku."

_**Later that night, Midoriya Residence**_

Inko was crying hard, completely lost in grief. The two detectives sat across from her, asking question after question to which Inko had no answers. After they had left, she went over to her photo of Izuku and her at the park a year ago. His face smiled up at her as she wiped away the tears.

* * *

_**Hey guys, Author here! Hope you enjoyed chapter 1. This will be a 11 or 12 chapter fic depending on how long some chapters will be and if other ideas come to me, and I will update it when I can. Hopefully I can get a new chapter out every 3 days, but with work and other stuff I might not be able to make that deadline. I will definitely finish it, though. Thanks for reading!**_

_**Author here again! You may be wondering why chapter 1 was updated. I got my first review that said Deku's joining felt forced, which is kinda true. I was iffy on the "spy" whole thing to begin with, and the characters felt kinda out of character. Hopefully this works better for you guys, I know it does for me. Oh, btw, chapter 3 will be out soon so be patient on that. Thanks for reading!**_


	2. Training for Glory

**_One year later, Midoriya Residence_**

Inko shuffled about the apartment, cleaning up and arranging all the odds and ends of the place. As she passed by the photo of her and Izuku, she paused and held it in her hand.

"Izuku... come home."

**_League of Villains Lair, Deku Age 8_**

Deku slammed into the wall and slumped to the ground. A ring of scorch marks decorated a dummy in front of him.

"You didn't brace yourself again." Kurogiri helped Deku off the ground. "It's not just fire, but a-"

"Concussive force that follows after. I know, you've told me a million times." Deku snapped at him, annoyed to no end.

"Then why do you keep forgetting? You know you'll only be sent out for missions when you master it, so why do you keep failing?"

"You try having another person in your head yelling at you all the time._"Stop, let me out, please stop!"_ It's irritating." Deku punched the dummy, sending a spark of flames out and cracking the fabric face.

"Perhaps you should inform master if Izuku is becoming a problem."

"No, it's fine. He's annoying, not overwhelming." Deku walked back a bit and readied himself, letting loose a burst of fire and holding his ground when the shock wave came after. The sound of clapping brought him out of his moment and he turned to see All for One at the entrance with Tomura.

"Impressive. You've progressed quite well this past year, my boy. A bit more training and you may very well be capable of destroying All Might." All for One patted Deku on the shoulder.

"Thank you, master, but we all know you'll do that."

"**_You can't kill him! You won't win!_**" Deku held his head as the voice of Izuku ran louder in his head. All for One put his hands behind his back.

"He's still troubling you?" At this, Deku simply stood taller and shook his head.

"He's louder sometimes, but I've got him under control. All he can do is scream." At this, All for One chuckled and placed his hand on Deku's shoulder.

"Excellent. Remember, you are my student, not Izuku. Izuku was weak, but you are powerful, Deku."

"Thank you, master." Deku bowed slightly and smiled brightly.

"That's my boy. In any case, it's time you resumed your studies. Your mind is important, and we don't want it going to waste. Kurogiri, if you would." The misty villain stepped forward and the pair left the training area.

"Master, do you prefer Deku over me?" Tomura asked, looking down at the ground. "He's always doing more than I am, and he's even going to be going out on missions before I will-"

"Tomura, listen." All for One knelt down on the pavement floor to look the boy in the eye. "Deku is important, but you are my successor. He will find the information and things needed to help create my plans, but you will be the one to carry them out and see them work. Deku learns what he does to better blend in, be hidden in plain sight. He is my hidden dagger, while you will be the hand that wields it. You understand?"

"Kind of." Tomura fumbled with his sleeve, and All for One chuckled.

"Deku is useful as a spy, but you will be the leader of the League when the time is right. For now, you require more training." At this, All for One sent a bunch of red spikes into the training dummy which stood on its feet as one of his stolen quirks worked it like a puppet.

"Now, Tomura, remember what I taught you. Attack." At this, Tomura lunged at the dummy, which then began to dodge and weave out of the way of the boy.

**_One Year Later, League of Villains Lair, Deku Age 9_**

Deku was currently sparring with a new member who possessed a quirk that let him jump high and fast. Tomura was currently fighting with a group of motorized dummies. Both of them were winning. Deku blasted a confined stream of fire at his opponent and the man went flying to the roof when the shock wave hit him. Deku's sparring partner slammed to the pavement and slightly curled up from the pain.

"Damn, kid. You've got some kick to your quirk." The man smiled, and Deku returned the gesture, his red eyes sparkling.

"You're not bad either. You almost had me for a moment. Hey Tomura, you done?" Deku called out as Tomura finished off the last dummy.

"Yeah, I'm good. You think master's back?"

"We can go ask Kurogiri." At this, Tomura groaned.

"Hope he doesn't make us do more chores. He always makes me sweep everything." Tomura slumped slightly and walked with Deku to the lair's lounge area. There, they bumped into Kurogiri, who took them by the shoulders.

"Get whatever personal things you have. We're relocating." At this, the two noticed the rest of the compound seeming to be getting mounds of stuff in boxes and crates and heading to the main garage.

"Kuro, what's going on?" Deku asked, looking up at his misty mentor.

"All Might. He found our master, wounded him, and now we need to go to him. I've sent All for One to a secure area, but we need to evacuate." At this, the pair just stood in stunned silence. All for One, the Symbol of Evil, their mentor, their father figure had been beaten? Kurogiri lead the both of them down the hall to the hanger sized garage, and opened a warp for the equipment and personnel. He then shouted out a bunch of orders to the League's members, who all went off in different directions.

"Kuro... where is master?" Deku asked, trembling with fear.

"... Follow me. But I warn you both, it's not going to be pretty." Kurogiri lead them down a steel hallway to a medium room. Inside was a cluster of medical equipment and machines. Lying in the bed of this amalgamation was All for One. His face was scarred and his throat had several tubes and wires coming out of it. The two boys slowly approached the man and faced him on either side of the bed.

"... my boys. You're here. Good, good." He held up a weak hand, pointing at Kurogiri. "Kuro, my gifts to the boys, get them please." At this, Kurogiri turned and walked out the door. Deku approached and put his hand over All for One's.

"Master, are you gonna die?"

"No, my boy. All Might wounded me, but my quirks and some doctors will see that I survive. Now my boys, come closer." Tomura and Deku got to the edge of the bed, and All for One put a hand on both of them.

"You two are brothers in our mission, and as such both of you will lead the League to glory one day. I have suffered, yes, but All Might has suffered more. Both he and I managed to gravely wound each other. While I will recover, he will slowly lose what strength he has left. That is where you two come in." At this, Kurogiri returned with a wooden box. Opening it, he held out a dagger to Deku.

"Deku, you are my hidden blade. You will blend in with those who would see us ruined, and when the time comes, deliver a brutal blow." Deku took the knife, and Kurogiri held out a pale hand with a socket type attachment on the end to Tomura.

"Tomura, you are my hand. You will carry the league when I can not. You will be the master of them all, my successor. Both of you, once All Might is dead by my hand and the symbol of peace is broken, you will lead the league to greater heights. To create the age of villains."

Deku gripped the knife tight and raised it up. "The age of villains!" He shouted while holding back tears.

Tomura placed the hand over his face to conceal his sorrow. "The age of villains!" He shouted out as well.

"That's my boys. Now, go with Kuro. I need to rest and heal." The boys both bowed and walked out. As Kurogiri walked ahead, Deku held his forearm out to Tomura.

"Brothers." he stated, and Tomura put his forearm up to form an X.

"Brothers. Forever."

Inside of Deku's mind, Izuku Midoriya was crying out, shouting at the darkness around him.

"**_You won't kill All Might! I'll stop you! You hear me? I"ll stop you_**!

* * *

**_Hey guys! Author here! So, this will be the average length for my chapters. Some might be shorter or longer, but this is what I'll aim for. Hope you guys enjoy!_**

**_P.S.: Its gonna get real heavy in later chapters._**


	3. Spying and Sorrow

**_Deku, Age 14_**

Today was the day. Deku was going on an infiltration mission for the first time. All for One stood before him, clad in his skull-like mask.

"My boy, your first task is at hand. You will begin scouting out UA, finding who will be applying to attend this year. Study everything you can, applicant names, their quirks, the teacher's information. Once we've compiled this, we can move forward with phase 2."

"Understood, master. I won't fail you."

"I know you won't, my boy. Now, for your new face." All for One led him over to Kurogiri who had a group of items prepared. Makeup, wigs, clothes.

"Alright. Here we go." Kurogiri went to work to alter Deku's appearance. "Finally, a unique touch." He held out an item for Deku.

"A choker? Really?" Deku looked at him with annoyance.

"It adds a distraction away from your face and alters your voice to sound older. Plus, it makes you look cute." he smuggly added.

"Alright MOM." Deku emphasized the last word, knowing how Kurogiri hated being labeled the "mother" of the two boys.

"Call me that again, and I'll warp you to the moon." Kuro growled, and Deku simply smiled.

"Yes ma'am."

"YOU LITT-"

"All right, that's enough. Deku, if you wouldn't mind." All for One motioned to the choker which Deku accepted with reluctance and slid on. Now he was a blonde, tanner, more simply dressed young man compared to his formal villain look. He could now pass for his fake identity. "Now, tell me who you are."

"Bisco Hatori, a recently hired aide for the upcoming entrance exams. My quirk is Analysis, which allows my to sort and process information and data at an increased rate. I've been brought in to help with the applicants to U.A. and to help select who will be sorted into the specific courses." Deku stated off his fake identity as he had memorized it.

"You look weird, bro." Tomura chirped up.

"Says the guy with a hand on his face."

"It's cool." Tomura snapped back.

"Boys, behave." Kurogiri spoke up.

"Okay, mom." both Deku and Tomura replied, causing Kuro to let out a loud sigh.

"Just.. Get going." Kurogiri opened a gate for Deku, who walked through. On the other side was UA high school. Deku put on his fake ID that marked him as an aide and walked to the front gate.

"Here we go." Upon having his ID scanned, the gate swung open and he walked in to the large entrance room. He saw two students walking down the hall.

"Excuse me, I'm new here. Which way's the teacher's workroom?"

"Oh, right down that way! Take a left and it'll be the first door on the left." A blue haired girl spoke up, pointing down the halls.

"Thank you." Deku nodded and made his way, stopping in front of the teacher's lounge. Upon opening the door, he saw a woman in a very provacative outfit sitting at one of the desks. She turned to look at him.

"Oh, hey. You new here?" Deku recognized her as the 18 only hero: Midnight.

"Yeah, one of the analysists. I was sent by the principal to get some files for him. The new applicants, current students. Guess he wants to double check everything for next year, you know." he played the part of an over-worked intern to the hero.

"Alright. Just let me know if you need any help. I'm currently going over some of my student's grades. These kids are talented, but I swear, some of them are just so dumb."

"Kids, am I right?" Deku sat down at one of the empty computers and slid a flash drive into it. The drive's program bypassed the login screen as expected, but now it was up to him to manually get the info needed. He scrolled through the folders on the destop

"_Let's see… Applicants._" Deku clicked on the file, copying it to the flash drive. He saw names flash across the "Copying File" window. Tenya Iida, Ochaco Uraraka, Momo Yaoyorozu. One name pulled his focus as it flashed past.

Katsuki Bakugo. Deku's eyes widened as he processed this. Bakugo. The guy who had taunted him and bullied him for years was going to be applying to be here. He smiled at the idea of meeting his old friend as a villain.

"_Oh, Bakugo. I hope you make it in. I've been meaning to catch up._" As the files finished copying, he pulled up the teacher info. Sliding it over to the folder, he glimpsed the names going by. Midnight, Eraser Head, Present Mic… and All Might. Deku's eyes widened with disbelief. All Might, their prime target, was going to be teaching here?

"_… Things just got a LOT easier._" he grinned as he pulled out the flash drive, his mission now completed. He shut off the computer and walked off.

"You done?" Midnight called out to him, and he held up the flash drive.

"Yeah, just got to get this to the principal. Nice meeting you!" he gave a friendly wave.

"You too." she waved him off and he walked out to the hallway. Seeing he was alone, he placed the flash drive into a small device which started flashing a red light. At the League's Lair, the information was appearing on Deku's laptop. A green light told him it was complete, and he disconnected the drive, slipping the scanner back into his pocket. He stood in front of the principal's office, and knocked on the door.

"Come in." a voice called out, and Deku opened the door to see a small white animal in a suit behind a desk, on the opposite side was a blonde student with a spkied hairdo. Sitting next to him was-

"**_ALL MIGHT_**?" Izuku's voice screamed out from inside Deku's mind, and he struggled to keep his composure.

'Sir, here's the files on the recent applicants' quirks as well as their grades and study ethic in their current schools. Thought you might want to look it over yourself." He handed the flash drive to the principal, who simply nodded.

"Thank you, mr... Hatori. Things have been a bit hectic around here with the new school year approaching. This is one of our current students, Mirio Togata. And you might already know All Might."

"Greeting, young man! It's good to see such young adults dedicated to teaching the next generation." All Might shook his hand.

"Well, I do what I can, but I'm more here for the anaylsis period."

"**_I'm shaking All Might's hand. I'm meeting All Might. All Might is IN FRONT OF ME!_**" Izuku's voice rambled on, and Deku nodded to the occupants of the room.

Thank you, sir. But I have to be getting back now. Good day." He waved and walked out. In the hall, he quikcly made he way back to the front entrance and out the buiding. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed the one number he had saved. "Kuro, mission complete and successful. I need a gate."

"Understood. On the other side of the road." Deku made his way across the street and proceeded down the alleyway to the waiting portal. Walking through, he proceeded to his laptop, bringing up the data he had gathered.

"Well done, my boy. And no-one suspected you?"

"No, master. And I have some even more interesting news. All Might is not only going to be teaching there, but I saw him with the principal. He was with another student, someone named Mirio Togata."

All Might himself will be there? This makesthings somewhat more simple. What relationship does he have with this student?"

"I don't know, I couldn't find out."

"Not to worry, my boy. We have means of figuring it out. For now, let's see what we have." The group went over to the laptop, and Deku started shifting through the applicants. A few were marked as possible future recruits, while others were simply recorded for future information.

**_Months later, UA entrance exams:_**

Deku was watching the applicants within the testing grounds, analysing their performances and totaling their scores as they destroyed the robotic opponents. After the signal sounded, he compiled as his data and sent it into the main data files. While he was doing this, his scanner was sending the info back to the League. Once the rest of the analysts had finished, the U.A. staff informed them that any information would be kept private until the school year began per the agreement they had. All of them agreed, even Deku, keeping up with the role. As he left, he made a quick stop by the teacher's lounge. Since everyone else was going over the applicant's performances, the room was empty at the time he arrived.

"Here we go." He placed a small device under one of the tables and pushed it. Now, they would have an ear inside the heart of U.A. It wasn't the ideal choice, but at the moment he was pressed for time. He made his way outside and heade to the alley where the portal was waiting for him.

"How did it go?"Kurogiri asked, standing behind the bar.

"Without a hitch. Where's master?"

"Back at the medical facility. His injuries were straining him again." Kuro shrugged, and Deku nodded in response. All for One still needed medical attention every now and then, with the great extant of his injuries. Deku simply walked off to his room and went to bed.

**_Days later, Midoriya Residence._**

_Knock knock_

"Coming!" Inko walked over to the door, and opened to see Katsuki and Mitsuki Bakugo smiling at her.

"Hey Inko! Thought we could come over and give you some company. And tell you something exciting!" Mitsuki hugged Inko and motioned Katsuki forward.

"I got into U.A." Katsuki smiled and Inko shook his hand.

"Congrats, Katsuki! I'm so proud of you. Come in, both of you. I can get dinner going."

"Oh, that's not really necessary, Inko. We wouldn't want to impose on you."

"Nonsense. I enjoy your visits, and I enjoy having someone around the house-" she stopped short and her smiled dropped. She always had a tough time with just herself.

"Hey, don't worry, Auntie." Katsuki hugged her. "He's out there. We'll find him." he gripped tighter as he felt her begin to cry.

"Katsuki, why don't you go get things ready in the kitchen while Inko and I talk?"

"Okay." the young man patted Inko on the back and Mitsuki walked with Inko into the living room.

"How are you holding up?" Mitsuki put her arm around Inko's shoulder.

"Honestly, there are times where I'm not. But you and your family visiting helps. And the thought of him coming back."

"I'm glad you didn't give up." Mitsuki hugged her tight. "He'll come home. If I find him, I'll send him right to you. Promise." Inko sobbed silently and the two pulled apart.

"How are you all?"

"Good, but honestly, I think Katsuki takes it the hardest. Everyone expects he's gonna be a great hero, but I sometimes think he blames himself for Izuku's disappearance. He always get so sad around the annivesary, and even with everything he's accomplished in school... I think he wants to have his friend back." Mitsuki looked over the couch to see Katsuki getting out ingredients and utensils with this blank look on his face.

"It's not his fault. I know they had trouble in the past, but I know things will be alright in the end." Inko fidgeted with her hands, and finally got up and went to the kitchen. The trio got dinner ready and made and chatted the night away. For a while, Inko forgot all her worries, listening to Katsuki talk about all his exploits at school and Mitsuki's latest buisness in the fashion industry. As they cleared the table and the pair left, she walked back to the living room and saw the old photo of Izuku. She held it to her chest and shed a tear.

"I know you're coming home, Izuku. I know it."

* * *

**Hey guys, author here! So, I know I said one chapter every three days but I'll have to change that. With work, the holidays, and other stuff I've got going on this is taking me a bit more time than I wanted it to. I will try to get the chapters out on a steady basis, so no need to worry about a huge hiatus. Thanks for reading.****P.S.: It's gonna get real next chapter.**


	4. Attack on the USJ

**_A few weeks later, League of Villains Lair, Deku age 15_**

This was the day the League would strike their first blow. Class 1-A had been targeted, as their class was the first to have All Might teaching them that day. That, combined with their underdeveloped quirks, would make them of little threat. Deku grabbed his new mask, a full head black skull helmet that resembled All for One's and slid it over his face. He proceeded out to where the other members had gathered and Kurogiri warped a gate for them all. As the less powerful villains walked through, Deku smiled under the mask. This was his chance to see his master's plan through, and he gripped his knife tight. Walking through with Tomura and the Nomu, he saw a group of students with the pro heroes Thirteen and Eraser Head.

"All Might's not here. Looks like the info we got was wrong. That or he skipped out." Deku growled under his mask and Tomura stepped forward.

"Where is he? I went through the trouble of bringing this whole crowd, too All Might The Symbol of Peace And he's not here? I wonder if he'll come if we kill some kids?" Tomura scratched at his throat, and the rest of the villains got excited.

"Tomura, our target is All Might, the students are of no concern. Besides, why kill them? I'd be more fun to just break them. Let's see if our new recruits are really worth our time." Deku stated, and Tomura took this in and then smiled as he called out to the villains.

"Listen up! Kill the pros, but those kids aren't worth our time. Rough 'em up as much as you need, but they live to see their teachers fail to save them!" At this, the villains got even more rowdy, and then it all came together. As the groups rushed, Kurogiri spawned portals all over the place, and the students, teachers and villains were all placed in different locations.

"This should make things a bit easier. Kuro, I'll need good vantage points for my data." Deku called out, and a portal opened under his feet taking him to a new area, overlooking a group of students fighting with their new recruits. Overlooking the rest of the U.S.J. building, he could see other groups engaging in combat. Activating a switch in his mask, he could now see with x-rays to analyze the rest of the people inside buildings and other areas.

"Hmm. These kids are more tenacious than we thought. Either that or our recruits are all incompetent." He saw several villains taken out by the kids in the area, however Tomura and the Nomu had taken care of Thirteen and Eraser Head. A portal opened under his feet and he was brought by Tomura's side as Kurogiri joined them.

"Kurogiri, did you kill Thirteen?"

"I put Thirteen out of action, but there were students that I was unable to disperse and one of them was able to run away."

"Huh? Kurogiri you fool! If you weren't our warp gate, I would have crushed you to pieces!We can't win against dozens of pros if they show up to stop us. But before we leave, let's make sure the symbol of Peace is broken." Tomura muttered, turning his head to one of the students.

"Let's wreck his pride." Tomura rushed towards the green haired girl, as a burst through the front doors blew them wide open to reveal All Might, now standing before the villains.

"Well, well, well. About time you showed." Deku muttered to himself as All Might proudly stood before the villains and students.

"Have no fear, students. I am here!" All Might boomed out, and Deku scoffed at the man. Always so over the top. He watched as the hero blew through several of the thugs they had brought and got Eraser Head out of danger. He then grabbed the students closest to Tomura, scooped them out of the water and stood in front of them.

"Everybody back to the entrance. And take Aizawa with you, he doesn't have much time." He then engaged the Nomu, and was locked in combat against it while both the Nomu and Kurogiri had him right where they wanted him.

"Normally I wouldn't want blood and viscera flooding the insides of my warp gates, but I'll make an exception for a hero as great as you." Kurogiri growled out as Deku looked on in pride.

"**_No. No... ALL MIGHT! WIN! YOU HAVE TO WIN!_**" Izuku's voice rang out louder than Deku was used to, causing him to clutch his head in slight pain.

Deku saw a few students rushing forward to help. Deku recognized one as Bakugo. As Bakugo slammed down and restrained Kurogiri at the throat, Tomura looked on as Todoroki restrained the Nomu's right side. As All Might slipped free, the trio looked on in hate.

"The Symbol of Peace will not be defeated by deliquents like you." Todoroki stared down the villains.

"They escaped unijured and captured our two strongest men." Tomura muttered to his brother.

"Kids these days are amazing." Deku replied, bringing a flame to his hand. The rest of the students now stood a good distance from All Might.

"Nomu, get Kurogiri. I'll deal with the children." The Nomu fell through the gate with his frozen limbs falling off, regenerating them back and rushing to free Kurogiri. Deku looked over at Tomura, holding his hand out in front of his "brother".

"Leave them to me." He charged forward, blasting at the pair with his fire. The other, Todoroki simply built up a large ice wall in front of him, but Deku's real target was Bakugo. He launched a burst of flame attacks as the Nomu and All Might went at each other. The two seemed to be evenly matched, but right now Deku didn't really care about that.

"DIE, YOU SHITTY VILLAIN!" Bakugo roared as the two exchanged blows. As this little conflict went on, All Might was now fighting harder against the Nomu. The Symbol of Peace was unleashing blow after blow, going into the possible hundreds with the number of attacks. As he landed what seemed to be the final hit against the Nomu, he let out a loud cry.

"Go Beyond! PLUS ULTRA!" At this, the punch sent the Nomu flying through the roof, and All Might stood there looking proud. Deku looked over at Kurogiri and Tomura, when suddenly a shot rang out, striking near Tomura. Looking at the entrance, they saw a group of pro heroes had arrived with the student who had managed to escape. The pros started to deal with the small fry. Deku gritted his teeth and turned towards his team-mates.

"... Let's go. Now." Kurogiri opened up a portal and Deku started towards it.

"You're not getting away that easy!" Bakugo rushed Deku, grabbing onto his black mask and blasting him back. The mask broke apart, pieces falling onto the floor as Deku shakily got to his feet. Bakugo came up behind Deku.

"Not so tough now, are y-" He charged forward, only to be met with a blast of fire and a shock wave pushing him back and onto the ground. As Bakugo got to his feet, he looked on to see the remnants of the helmet fall away and reveal-

"... Deku?" The young man looked at his old friend and shuddered as red eyes stared back at him while his opponent smiled.

"You have no idea how right you are, Bakugo." Deku smiled as he swung his knife, creating a wave of fire launched at Bakugo. Taking the blunt of it, Katsuki slammed against the floor behind him and looked on to see his old friend leaving with Shiguraki back through a portal. Once they were gone from view, the portal disappeared leaving Bakugo to wonder just what happened to Izuku. The pros came down and got the situation under control. All Might was hidden behind one of Cementoss' walls and the other pros all began rounding up the smaller villains and helping out the students. After a moment, the pro hero came over to Bakugo.

"Bakugo, All Might says you recognized that guy with the suit and skull mask. Who is he?" Cementoss asked the young man, who simply stood in shocked silence. Finally, he spoke up, his voice shaking.

"... his name is Izuku Midoriya... he was- is... my friend."

**_League of Villains Lair:_**

The group returned and the screen was lit up, showing that All for One was listening.

"We lost completely. All the underlings were defeated in an instant! Even Nomu was defeated! Those kids were strong! The Symbol of Peace wasn't weakened at all. You were wrong, Master!" Tomura growled out, and Deku clenched his fist in annoyance at his "brother's" boldness against their master.

"**_No, I wasn't. We were just as prepared as we should have been._**" All for One's voice came over the screen, giving Deku reassurance.

"_Yes, we underestimated them. It's good that we did it under that cheap "League of Villains" name. And what about the creature Master and I created, where is Nomu?_" Deku recognized the other voice as All for One's doctor.

"**_Yes, why is he not with you?_**"

"He was blown away. It was All Might's doing, without coordinates to his precise location I couldn't use my warp to bring him with us. We didn't have time to search for him." Kurogiri explained while getting more and more worried.

"_This is a travesty. After all we did to make him as powerful as All Might!_"

"**_Well, I suppose it cannot be helped. That's unfortunate. Of course you all have regrets. But this was not a futile mission, we've learned many things. Gather the villainous elite. Take all the time you need. I must remain hidden in the shadows, which is why I need you to be my face. A symbol of your own. Tomura Shigaraki. Next time, you will show the world that you are to be feared._**"

"Master, there's another problem." Deku spoke up. "Katsuki Bakugo saw my face. He knows about me, and most likely has informed the U.A. staff of me." There was silence from the screen for a few moments.

"_**That is... unfortunate. We've lost the element of surprise with you, my boy. However, we can alter the plan. Your purpose will still be the same, just a bit more known than we wanted.**_" Deku nodded at this, and Tomura looked at his "brother".

"_**Everyone, await my instructions and keep a low profile for now. We want there to be a calm before the storm.**_" At this, the screen shut off and Deku walked to his room down the hall. Tomura held up his forearm to Deku as he walked by.

"Brothers." Tomura muttered out, and Deku smiled and returned the gesture.

"Brothers." He walked away, feeling better than he had a moment ago and laid on his makeshift bed, thinking of the things that had happened today. He had been exposed, he had seen All Might beat their strongest member, he had seen and fought with Katsuki. And now, he was no longer a hidden blade, but a open threat to the students and teachers.

"**_You won't win. No matter what! All Might, Kacchan, they'll all stop you! You're gonna lose!_**" Deku held his head as Izuku kept raging in his thoughts.

"Shut up, brat. You've caused me enough headaches today."

**_Hours later, Midoriya Residence:_**

**Knock knock**

"One moment!" Inko got to the door, to see a policeman and a detective standing there.

"Mrs Midoriya... we have some news about your son."

**_An hour later:_**

Katsuki rushed up the stairs to Inko's apartment and pounded on the door. He tried to catch his breath and the door opened to show a crying Inko holding the old photo of Izuku. Bakugo simply stood there for a few seconds before grabbing her in a giant hug. She cried into his shoulder and he held her tight.

"... I'll find him. And I'll bring him home. No matter what." At this, Inko returned the hug tightly and started sobbing quietly. Bakugo rubbed her back, and thought back on the young villain he met earlier that was wildly different from the Izuku he knew.

"_No matter what._" he thought to himself, and he held Inko until she had stopped crying.

* * *

_Hey guys, author here! I honestly thought this chapter would take me longer to do, but apparently not. Hopefully I can get the rest of them out this quick for you all, but no promises! So, enjoy and thanks for reading!_

_P.S.: Chapter 8 is probably gonna be the longest, because that's the All for One vs All Might chapter._


	5. Watching The Sports Festival

**_The following morning, U.A. Conference Room:_**

"We had quite a problem yesterday. Not only did villains manage to infiltrate U.A., but they nearly killed two of our pro heroes." Principal Nezu addressed the room while holding his cup of tea.

"Eraser Head is in recovery, and Thirteen is doing well. My concern is about our attackers. These so called League of Villains." Cementoss spoke up, prompting Midnight to display the files of the League's members.

"Most of them were small time thugs, but these three were definitely in charge. The two they called Kurogiri and Shigaraki we have no real information on. We know their quirks from what we've seen in action, but their identities are entirely unknown to us. And then there's the third member, Izuku Midoriya. A young man who was diagnosed as quirkless at age four, and has been a missing person's case for the past eight years. According to the school records and what his mother told the police, he was focused on becoming a hero."

"And now he's a villain. Quite a shame. But my main concern is that creature they brought with them, the thing they called Nomu. It was designed to go head to head with All Might, and almost succeeded in killing him. Where did that creature even come from, and how was it even made?" Ectoplasm spoke up, leading Nezu to contemplate all of this.

"... I feel like there's more to this situation than what we currently know. For now, we should increase security and release a statement to the press. The students should be reassured that everything will resume as normal. The last thing we need is to cause a panic so close to the Sports Festival. If that's all, we are dismissed, and all of you can return to your respective classes." Nezu nodded to the teachers, who all got up and began walking out. All Might came over to Nezu.

"Sir, I have this strange feeling that something larger is at work here... I think... I think All for One might be behind this."

"You believe the League is his creation?"

"I wouldn't put it past him. Besides, that creature had incredible power and was tailor made to be my equal. If All for One did create it, it would be a perfect way for him to realize his goal."

"... For now we should go off what we know, All Might. If All for One does resurface, we'll deal with it as we need to. By the way, how is young Mirio doing?"

"He's... adapting to One for All, but truth be told he's having a difficult time getting it under control. With his own quirk, One for All seems a bit much for him."

"I'm certain things will turn out well in the end. In any case, you should get to your class. Need to keep up that image of yours." At this, All Might assumed his hero form and walked off. Principal Nezu sipped the last of his tea and walked off to his office, now thinking about all that was at work here.

**_Two weeks later, Bakugo residence:_**

_"Stupid Deku." A younger Bakugo chuckled to himself as a younger Izuku was laying in the dirt, bruised and dirty. As Izuku looked up, his eyes were full of tears. A wave of fire then washed over the both of them, and now Bakugo was his normal age looking at his former friend whose eyes were glowing red._

_"You have now idea how right you are, Bakugo." Fire washed over them both, and Bakugo saw all of Class 1A dead around him. All Might was being crushed under Deku's foot, who now had on his skull mask._

_"This. Is what you did to me." Another blast of fire exploded across them._

"NO!" Katsuki shot up in bed, panting and trembling in a cold sweat. It was his nightmare, the same one he'd been having for days.

_Knock knock_

"Katsuki?" his mother called out before walking in, seeing her son in a panicked state. She went over and gave him a light hug, pulling him close.

"I made him into that. I made hi-"

"Katsuki, look at me." Mitsuki put her hands on his face and made him make eye contact with her. "You're not responsible for what happened. You made mistakes in the past, but what happened to him was because of those people. That "League of Villains", understand?" At this, Katsuki nodded, and Mitsuki held him tighter, giving him a kiss on the forehead. She walked back to her room, pausing at the doorway.

"Mom... do you think I... I can make things right with him?"

"... Maybe. Once he's found." She walked away, leaving Katsuki to ponder the future he had in front of him. Katsuki heard her footsteps approaching. "Don't forget, your appointment with Dr. Suoh is before the Sports Festival."

"Yeah, I know." Katsuki turned over in bed and his mom closed his bedroom door behind her. He only got an extra hour and a half of sleep before his alarm clock woke him up.

**_Dr. Souh's office at U.A. High School, a hour later:_**

_Knock knock_

"Come in." Bakugo opened the door to see the school psychiatrist Dr. Haruhi Souh smile at him. "Ah, Katsuki, come in. I was hoping you'd come by today. Excited for the Sports Festival?"

"Yeah, I guess." Bakugo slumped down on the couch, arms crossed.

"... It was the nightmare again, wasn't it?"

"... Yeah."

"Katsuki, I know you blame yourself, but there comes a point where blame does nothing but hurt you. You bullied Izuku when you were kids, and you feel that pushed him to become what you faced. But whatever happened to Izuku was a result of either his own choices or things those villains did to him."

"They had to have done something to him! De- Izuku would never have become a villain!" Bakugo saw the parental look on the doctor's face and calmed down. "Sorry. It's just-"

"You don't want to believe it was his choice. But nobody knows whether or not it was, nobody but Izuku. So, here's what I want you to answer. If you saw him again,and you felt you could do something,what would it be? What choice would you make?"

Bakugo sat and thought for a while. He remembered the years they'd been friends, the years he'd bullied him, the years he spent waiting for any news about him, and the day he finally saw the guy he once knew completely changed.

"... I'd try to get him to explain, and then I'd find a away to bring him back. To make him into someone who's not a villain... bring him back home to his mom."

"So find a way to do that. Focusing on the past will only bring back more pain. Focus on the future and make your way to it with your actions in the present." she smiled at him, and Bakugo nodded, feeling better than he had before.

"Thanks, doc."

"That's what I'm here for. So, your next scheduled appointment is in two weeks. Until then, you know my door is always open."

"Yeah, I know. Anyways, I gotta get going. Sports Festival isn't gonna wait for me to get there." Bakugo laughed and walked off.

**_League of Villains Lair, Deku Age 15:_**

Both Deku and Tomura were sitting at the bar, watching the news coverage of the Sports Festival while Kurogiri was cleaning up the glasses.

"I'm getting annoyed just watching them." Tomura scoffed, as Deku simply leaned against the bar.

"Anyone wanna place bets on who wins the whole thing?"

"... 550 yen on the half and half one." Tomura placed his money on the counter, and Kurogiri placed a larger amount on as well.

"1,100 on the hardening kid." Deku then pulled out his own money and placed it down.

"1,650 on the angry blonde one." The trio watched on as the two classes were brought into the stadium and Midnight addressed the crowd.

"Why is SHE the announcer? Isn't this a family event?" Deku asked the two of them.

"Pretty sure it is." Kurogiri looked at him as Bakugo was shown climbing up to the podium.

"_All I have to say is... I'm gonna win._" At this, Deku pulled out more money.

"Yeah, I'm adding another 550 to my bet." The first event was announced: an obstacle course around the stadium. Right off the bat, Todoroki froze the ground, leaving most of them trapped.

"Another 550 for me." Tomura slapped his money down and the race proceeded. The first obstacle was a number of robots from the entrance exam. Several students easily dealt with them. The next stage was a canyon that had to be crossed by ropes.

"Man, that old friend of yours is tenacious." Tomura snickered at Deku, who simply glared at him.

"He's not MY friend." He turned his attention back to the race, where most of the competitors had now reached the final stage: a land mine field.

"Good grief, they are not holding back with these obstacles." Kurogiri poured himself a drink and watched as the two leaders Bakugo and Todoroki were neck and neck. Bakugo let loose one final blast and propelled himself past the finish line ahead of his opponent. The crowd cheered as the trio watched.

"Anybody want to change their bet?" Deku asked the tow of them, and the pair just shook their heads. Midnight came forward and announced that the top 42 students had gotten through to the second round. The next event was a cavalry battle, where teams would have to snag headbands from each other in order to win the most points. Having recently won, Bakugo was now worth 10 million points making him the primary target of everyone there.

"Oh, this is gonna be fun." Deku chuckled to himself as the event began. Bakugo and his team were confronted by Todoroki's team, leaving the two in a bit of a face off. Another student approached, and seemingly copied Bakugo's quirk.

"Now that one seems interesting." Kurogiri took a drink and the event continued. Several teams were fighting for the most points, but at the end, only 16 students were able to advance to the final round.

"Last chances to change bets." Deku called out, before his companions simply pondered and then shrugged it off. Midnight announced there would be noonday break. Deku got up and looked in his wallet to see how much money he still had.

"I'm going to get some snacks from the store. You guys want anything?"

"I'm fine."

"Same here. Make sure to wear your disquise." Kurogiri looked back at him, and Deku pulled out his face mask, fake glasses and black wig.

"I'll be back in a bit." Deku walked out and headed to the grocery about five minutes away. As he was walking in the small crowd, he bumped into someone.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry." Deku looked to see the person addressing him, a short green haired woman with a short ponytail wearing a pink sweater.

"_**... Mom?... MOM!**_" Izuku's voice rang out in Deku's head, and he simply held up his hand to her.

"It's alright. Have a good day." And he walked off, leaving Inko behind him while Izuku screamed in his head.

"_**Go back! Please, go back! GO BACK! GO BACK! MOM! MOM, PLEASE! IT'S ME, IT'S ME!**_" Deku gripped his head, wiped away the tears that had formed, and walked into the store, grabbing a few items and walking to the register. The young lady rang him up and he made his way back.

"Hey. I miss anything?"

"No, just some weird cheer-leading thing." Kurogiri responded as the third event was about to begin. The last event was a tournament, and before it even began, two students dropped out of it. The pairing were made, and the trio sat back and watched. The matches went on for a while, and Kurogiri lost his wager early on.

"It's like watching two rams butt heads with each other. WHO PAIRED THOSE TWO TOGETHER?" He gripped as His winnings were now lost to him. A while later Kuro's phone rang and he tapped the "Answer" button. "Kurogiri, here. ... Yes, I understand." He hung up, and turned to the boys.

"I'll be back in a moment. There's a matter I need to attend to." He warped away, leaving the pair to watch the last pair face off. Todoroki stood opposite from Bakugo, and the two started going at each other. Todoroki kept building up walls of ice, only to get them blasted apart by Bakugo. When it seemed like Todoroki was losing, Bakugo grabbed him by the chest and yelled something at him. Todoroki went still for a minute, and then a burst of fire shot out from Todoroki. The two went at it again with flames and explosions going against each other, and when both seemed too winded to fight Bakugo gave one last charge and blasted Todoroki just outside the ring. The match was called, and after a few minutes All Might came in to award the medals to the winners. Turning off the TV, Deku collected his winnings.

"I knew he'd win. He's too stubborn to give up." Deku smiled, and Tomura turned to him.

"Can I at least have Kurogiri's money? I don't have a lot left." At this, Deku scoffed and handed him 1,100 yen. Then, Kurogiri's gate appeared, and a man in bandages, red clothes, a long scarf and carrying an assortment of blades appeared in the room. As Kurogiri closed the gate, he addressed the pair.

"Boys, meet the hero killer Stain."

* * *

_**Hey guys, author here. Another chapter out, thank god! I'll be trying to release on schedule, but with everything coming up this month I may be behind on some chapters. In the meantime, hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading!**_


	6. A Pesky Little Stain

**_Moments Earlier, Hosu City:_**

A line of yellow tape blocked off a small alley where another victim of the hero killer lay. As the crowd grew, on a rooftop overlooking the scene was the man himself. Crouching on top of a water tower, he licked a splatter of blood off his jagged and worn katana blade.

"You haven't even noticed it, have you? This warped society mired by hypocrisy and vanity. That's fine, I'll open your eyes, "heroes". You will see the world that you've created." Stain watched on as the police kept people back from the scene. Sensing that he wasn't alone, he swung his blade backwards only to hit what felt like empty air. Turning his gaze, he saw a large swirl of black and blue-purple energy with two glowing yellow eyes.

"Please, remain calm. We are of the same mind. I have been searching for you, hero killer Stain. I heard of your exploits and wanted to meet you in person. I think you'll be interested in what I have to offer." At this, Stain narrowed his gaze and put his blade back in its sheath. At this, the mist swallowed Stain, and when he could see again, he was in a bar with two young men looking at him and the mist turned into a man in a vest.

**_Now, League of Villains Bar:_**

"Boys, meet the hero killer Stain." At this, Kurogiri walked over to the bar and pushed a button on the monitor, activating the channel to All for One's communications.

"Now I get it. You all attacked U.A., and you want to recruit me to help build up your little group again." Stain practically growled at them.

"Yeah, it'll be great with all the experience you have."

"... And what's your mission?" Stain glared at Tomura, who spoke up before Deku had a chance to.

"For now we just want to kill All Might. I like to destroy anything that pisses me off." Tomura stated, and Deku shook his head.

"Tomura, try to be more civil, will you?" Deku nudged his "brother" in the arm and Stain growled in anger.

"I was a fool to think you could offer me anything. Turns out, you are the type of person I hate most in this world. The goals of your "league" are those of a child. What meaning is there to killing if you don't have real convictions?" Stain grabbed two of his blades, and Kurogiri and Deku readied themselves.

"Master, should we stop this?" Deku asked the screen, and the reply came through seconds later.

_"Let it happen. It's possible this is the only way he'll learn anything. He needs to think about the ways he must grow, how he can mature. Only then will he reach his potential._" At this, Stain leapt forward, trying to strike at Tomura. Deku jumped behind the bar and joined Kurogiri as the hero killer and Tomura went head to head.

"I don't like this, Kurogiri. That man is a fanatic, one who seems more likely to kill us all than join us." Deku watched as Stain kept up with his swift and brutal strikes that Tomura could just barely dodge. Stain then slashed at both Kurogiri and Deku, drawing blood from them both. As he licked the blades, the two felt themselves go stiff and they tried to move to no avail. Finally, Stain pinned Tomura to the ground and then stabbed him in the shoulder.

"You want me to join you, but if you don't have conviction or desire you won't accomplish anything. Without them, you'll be nothing more than an aimless weakling that achieves nothing. That's how you got here."

"Enough out of you, knife boy. Kurogiri, take him back." Deku muttered, and Kurogiri simply groaned in pain.

"I can't, it must be his quirk."

"The word "hero" has lost all meaning in this society. It's overrun with fakes and criminals like you that chase petty dreams like fame, fortune or wanton destruction. They must all be purged." Stain moved his knife close to the hand on Tomura's face, only to see Tomura grip the blade.

"If you dare touch this palm... I'll kill you. You keep talking about conviction, "hero killer", and I may not have much of that." Tomura's quirk had cracked and rusted the knife away to dust at this point.

"But if I had to say what I want, it'd be killing All Might. If this world wants to worship him as their heroic savior, I'll end him and crush the rest of them while they're in shock." Stain jumped away as Tomura swiped out to grab him, allowing Tomura to get up.

"I see what kind of person you are. It would seem our goals oppose each other. However, we both agree the present must be changed, by destructive means."

"I'm over this. Leave, drop dead. I'm the kind of guy you hate most, remember?"

"That was to test your motives. Only on the verge of death do you see a person's true colors. There's a sprout of conviction in you, but it's warped. How will it bloom, I wonder. Maybe I'll allow it to grow, and if you don't turn out well, I'll take care of you later." At this, Deku growled and finally felt himself gain control of his body. Jumping over the bar, he created a ball of concentrated fire and aimed it at Stain as a warning.

"You're insane, a blood lust fanatic. Someone like you is going to be nothing but a problem for us. Kurogiri, take him back."

"Both of you, reconsider. This man's skills and prowess would be a great asset if he joined our ranks." At this, Stain turned to Kurogiri.

"My business here is done. I've heard you out and now you will return me to Hosu. There are several false heroes I must attend to there." The hero killer licked his lips and Kurogiri created a warp gate for him. As the last of Stain's garments had disappeared, Tomura turned and sat at the bar. Deku extinguished his fire and stood near the jukebox, while removing his now blood stained vest.

"... He wasn't entirely wrong about you." Deku stated, looking over the songs.

"... what did you just say?" Tomura practically growled at Deku, and Kurogiri stood ready to intervene.

"You focus to much on here and now. You want to do nothing more than destroy what's in your way, without thought to a greater goal. Consider the future we're creating and use that ideal to alter the present."

"_I couldn't have put it better myself, Deku. Tomura, I'd ask you to be thoughtful of the new age we are to bring forth. What you do now will determine what becomes of you and your future. For now, I want all three of you keeping an eye on Stain. Follow him, see what movements he makes. If he's not going to help us with our goal, perhaps he can be of use to us in other ways. When the time comes, I think you'll know what to do._" All for One's screen went black, and Kurogiri relaxed as the boys went to go change into fresh clothes. He leaned against the bar and sighed heavily, and then jolted up when his cell phone rang.

"Master, what is it? Do you wish to change your orders to the boys?"

"_No, no. I've been giving some thought to this, and I believe I may have chosen the wrong person to succeed me. Tomura does have the drive and passion of a villain but he lacks focus, desiring only to cause wanton destruction and needs to mature a bit more before he can be a true leader. Deku on the other hand seems to be nearly ready to take up my position. His intellect, maturity, and his conviction make him the perfect candidate._"

"Are you sure, master? Tomura has been by your side for much longer, and Deku is simply a creation of Dark Mind."

"_A fair point, and perhaps Dark Mind has played a hand in Deku's development into a villain. But nonetheless, should there come a time when we have to chose between the two, at the moment I'd prefer Deku. But who knows, perhaps Tomura will find his conviction in the end._"

**_Hosu City:_**

Stain stood atop the water tower Kurogiri had found him on earlier, and didn't even turn when a warp gate opened behind him. Tomura and Deku stepped out, both glaring at the hero killer with disgust.

"Hosu City looks nicer than I thought." Deku looked around at the city skyline, while Tomura approached Stain.

"So, what're you gonna do here?"

"I will reform it, and blood must spill in order to do so. "Hero" is a title for those who accomplished great deeds! This city is full of false champions who care for nothing but money and fame! Until this world realizes it's mistakes, I will continue my work." Stain grabbed his katana and leapt off, heading to his next potential victim.

"He's so high and mighty. He's wasting his time focusing on such a small stage. One person at a time, hero by hero." Tomura uttered to the rest of the group.

"Agreed. He's nothing more than a serial killer with a perverted sense of purpose." Deku muttered, brandishing his knife.

"Still you must admire his dedication and focus. Wherever he appears, the crime rate lowers. Whether by fear or precaution, his actions do bring change from the heroes."

"So, now he's also making our job harder. The more heroes he attacks, the more safeguards the pros will put in place... We need to remove him if we want to remain in place. For the safety of our operations, he needs to be dealt with." Deku faced Tomura as he spoke, giving his "brother" an idea.

"Yes. He needs to go... Kurogiri, bring out the Nomus. Let's make it interesting for him. Let's crush his honor and pride first."

"Now that sounds like fun." Deku smiled as Kurogiri brought three Nomu out of his warp gate and they went off into the city. Moments later, they heard several screams as the Nomu attacked the city. Deku and Tomura pulled out a pair of binoculars.

"Seems like one of them went for a train. Hold on, is that... Who is that?" Deku squinted through the lens to see an elderly man in a white and yellow hero costume fighting against a Nomu, behind him was a young man in a red cape with spiked yellow hair.

"Well, that boy is Mirio, or Lemillion as he calls himself. Not sure about the short guy. Looks like they've got that one covered. But the others are making nice work of the rest of the place." The other Nomus were currently locked in battle with several heroes, all of whom were trying to hold their own.

**_Nearby:_**

"Those idiots are making a move, and they're noisy. I'll dispose of them later, after I finish my work here." Stain had the pro hero Native by the face, and raised his blade to strike. As he was about to complete his work, a young man ran down the alley and swiped his leg at the hero killer. Stain simply slashed his katana through the air, knocking the young man back and his helmet came off.

**_Rooftop:_**

"Now this is an interesting development." Deku glanced through the binoculars to see Tenya Iida on the ground near Stain. "Seems a U.A. student is trying to fight the hero killer."

"Who? The angry kid?"

"The four eyes who can run fast... seems a waste to see him die. But there are casualties in war."

"**_No, stop him! Don't let him kill them!_**" Izuku's voice rang out, making Deku grit his teeth. He looked through the binoculars to see the student and hero killer standing off, neither one attacking just yet.

"... Kurogiri... I've got a bit of an idea." Deku smiled as he pulled out his cell phone.

"_Endeavor Hero Agency, how can I help you?_"

"I'd like to report a sighting of the hero killer."

**_Nearby:_**

The hero Endeavor was doing patrol with his son Shoto and a few others from his agency when he received a call on his cell.

"What is it? ... are you serious?... We'll be there soon!" He turned to his companions. "There's an attack in Hosu City. Several creatures are causing chaos, and the hero killer is close by. Let's go! If anyone's putting that madman's reign of terror to an end, it's me!"

The trio watched as Endeavor and his group worked their way to the chaos of Hosu City.

"Stain vs Endeavor... place your bets, gentlemen." Deku chuckled as Tomura started laughing. Kurogiri turned to them both.

"An excellent idea, Deku. Either Stain kills the number two hero and causes a crippling blow to their ranks, or he gets arrested and we are free to operate in peace."

"Now, Kurogiri, your part is coming. On my signal." Deku turned his attention back to the hero killer and Iida in the alley. The boy was currently on the ground, unmoving from where he lay. The hero killer raised his bade at the pro hero, ready to end him.

"Now!" At this, Kurogiri opened a warp gate under Stain and sent him right into the fray of the Nomu's attack. Stain looked a bit disoriented for a while, but quickly got his bearings and went to work fighting against the monsters and pros surrounding him.

"HERO KILLER!" At this, Stain turned to see a burst of fire come at him. As he dodged out of the way, there stood Endeavor with a look of pure rage. "I'm here to end you!"

"Endeavor. The biggest false hero of them all. The one who cares for nothing but chasing a shadow of a truly great hero." Stain readied his blade and rushed Endeavor. The number two hero dodged and blasted Stain with a burst of fire.

"Shoto, you and the others deal with these abominations. This madman is mine." At this, the young boy and two others went to work assisting the other pros with the Nomu. The pros were struggling, but still managed to hold back the creatures with the new help they received. The villainous trio simply watched with amusement.

"Now this, THIS is a fight." Tomura chuckled as the pair went head to head, each doing their best to both dodge the other's attack while also land their own. Eventually, a Nomu went right for the pair of them, slashing at Stain's side with its claws and trying to bite Endeavor's head off. The fire hero dodged and blasted at the creature, which seemed to be unaffected by the flames.

"Oh, that's the flame proof one we made, right?"

"Oh, Endeavor is so screwed now." Deku chuckled as the Nomu and Endeavor went at it again, each trying to end the other. Out of nowhere, a blade sliced through the Nomu's neck and Stain was there holding his now bloody and bruised left side. As the Nomu fell to the ground, he held his blade high giving out a loud yell. Everyone watching him went stiff, not from his quirk but from the aura he gave off. He was emanating an air of rage, darkness, blood, pure fury and everyone who looked at him saw nothing but death.

"**You false heroes! These streets must run with the blood of hypocrites! I'll make it right! I will reclaim the word "hero"! Just try to stop me, you fakes! There is only one man who I'll let kill me, a true hero! ALL MIGHT IS WORTHY!**" As he let out these last words, he went stiff and simply stared ahead with a look into space.

"... Well that was a bit anti-climatic." Deku scoffed as the pros slowly ensured the hero killer was out of commission. Tomura stood up and walked over to the edge of the roof.

"Shame the Nomus were lost so easily, they were such good playthings. Ah well. Kurogiri, let's go home." As Kurogiri opened up a warp gate, Deku saw Tenya arrive at the scene and gaze at the hero killer. Shoto went over to him, and the pair began talking.

"_That's right. The hero killer managed to get someone before we brought him to our hideout. It must've been someone close to you. I wonder how you'll handle not getting even with him._" Deku smirked to himself and walked through the portal.

**_League of Villains Bar, the next day:_**

"_The hero killer Stain is behind bars! Reports-_" ***click***

"_Endeavor was on the scene and went head to he-_" ***click***

"_The hero killer was paralyzed by internal bleeding due to his quirk-_" ***click***

"_A group of creatures attacked Hosu City where the hero killer was-_" ***click***

"_Were these creatures allies of the hero killer or just a diversion? Here's-_" ***click***

"_\- Given the appearance of these creatures, and the presence of three individuals in the area our reporters managed to catch on film, there is a possibly of the hero killer Stain working with this so-called "League of Villains" that attacked the U.S.J. at U.A. High School a few weeks ago-_" ***click***

"And there it is." Deku tossed the remote onto the bar, leaning back in his seat. "Now that Stain's caught, people are linking him to us. Just like we wanted."

"Why is that a good thing? He wasn't one of us." Tomura muttered, and Kurogiri brushed off his vest.

"Because now those inspired by Stain will come to us. By creating a link between us and Stain, the League has now become a beacon for all those who wish to bring down the heroes of this world."

"So, he's our new poster boy?" Tomura growled as there was a knock at the door. Deku looked on as it opened slowly to reveal their underworld contact Giran, who stood in front of two people in strange outfits. One was a tall young man with burnt skin and black hair. Behind him was a girl in a skirt and sweater with blond hair in two buns on the side.

"Shigiraki! Deku! Your little League has been the talk of the town lately. People say you're about to do something big soon."

"Who did you bring for us, Giran?" Deku glanced at the two people, and the boy in black stepped forward, looking at Tomura.

"So, it's really you. Gotta say, you look grosser in person than your pictures." He smirked at Tomura and the girl stepped forward.

"Wow! It's the weird hand guy, and the green haired boy! You're cuter than I thought you'd be, greeny. You guys are friends with Stain, right? Let me join the League, I wanna be in your group!" she rambled out with a school-girl voice, leaving Tomura and Deku to just glare at them with disbelief. Deku turned to the bar and grabbed a bottle of a shelf, only to have Kurogiri snatch it out of his hands.

"No." Kurogiri scolded him, and Deku simply crossed his arms and leaned against the bar. This was going to be a long day.

**_U.A. Conference Room, later:_**

Principal Nezu had gathered a few of the teachers, All Might, and Gran Torino was there as well. His involvement with the Hosu incident as well as him giving Mirio additional training with One for All was what lead him here.

"We have a problem. Now that the hero killer has been caught, people are making a connection between him and the League of Villains. Stain's ideologies will be spread through the media as people want to understand his motives, and that'll inspire other villains to pursue the same goal." Torino fiddled with his hands as he addressed the rest of the pro heroes.

"Which is where the League comes in. Now that they've been linked to Stain, others will see them as a group with an ideology instead of delinquents that attacked U.A. for simple destruction. If the group assembled under that banner grows large enough, it'll be a threat no matter what." Eraser Head spoke up, and All Might trembled slightly in fear.

"Earlier, Tsukauchi told me the Nomu that attacked during the USJ incident had multiple quirks. The way it was made to be my equal, the savagery it had going up against me, what he told me. It all points to him. But for him to have survived those injuries, for him to be coming back..."

"All For One. If he is behind all of this, he's getting bolder. He's eliminating those who stand in his way, and using who he can to achieve his goals." Torino spoke up, and Nezu decided to address the room.

"For now, we should focus on what has happened. Stain attacked a number of heroes, and the League unleashed Nomus before retreating themselves. Both of those threats are now taken care of. What we need to do now is prepare for what comes next. The League will most likely try to expand their numbers, and we need to be ready should they attack again." At this, the room was dismissed, and All Might turned to Gran Torino.

"Sir, I understand Mirio was with you the other night. Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he got into a mild scrape with one of those creatures, but managed to hold his ground. Doctors gave him a full work over at the hospital, physical exam, blood sample, the works. Guess they're being cautious."

"Yeah... I should tell him. About All for One." All Might clenched his fist. "If he's truly behind all this, Mirio deserves to know what he's up against."

**_All for One's Medical Lab, later:_**

"Doctor, how goes your progress?" All for One sat in his medical support system, watching the bald man shuffle about the room.

"I've completed the conditioning process on another two Nomu, and begun creation of two more. As for the other request you had, I believe it may have merit." The doctor pulled a vial of blood out of his coat pocket and placed it on the lab table.

"You're certain it's from him?"

"Positive. Had it confirmed by our agent herself. This is a blood sample from Mirio Togata. Now, all we need is the other sample and the device we've heard about. But I'll be honest, this has to be the craziest thing you've thought of, Master."

"The line between genius and insanity is often blurred. But, if we can succeed, All Might and his successor will be powerless to stop me. See to the necessary preparations for retrieving the other items. And see to my injuries afterwards, I want to be healed as much as possible soon." All for One waved the doctor off, and the man nodded his head and walked away. All for One smiled to himself before drifting off to sleep, imaging what the future held for him and his two young protégés.

**_Deku's Room, that night:_**

Deku was sound asleep, dreaming of what had happened earlier, the hero killer's face glaring at him. His dream then faded away in gray smoke and there in front of him was Izuku.

"**... Are we really going to do this again? You never win.**"

"_I'm not going to let you control me anymore! I want you out of my head._"

"**You're in MY head, brat. And if you want to lose again, fine.**" At this, the two charged each other, and Deku immediately gained the upper hand. The two had done this dance almost every night, each fighting for control of the body. Deku managed to land a few blows one after another, leaving Izuku panting.

"**Just give up. I'm stronger than you, I've always been. All you can do is yell into the storm.**" Deku landed blow after blow, and Izuku tried to block but was slipping up with each blow.

"_... I won't let you use me anymore._" Izuku threw a punch that Deku side-stepped, and then followed up with a sweep of Deku's legs. As Deku went down, Izuku got on top of him, throwing punch after punch. Deku raised his hands to block the blows, and Izuku kept up the attack.

"**You... little... BRAT!**" Deku shoved forward, knocking Izuku off. As his kinder persona was getting up, Deku landed blow after blow. "**Weak! Pathetic! Powerless! Stupid! Little! Midoriya!**" With each word, another blow, until Izuku was on the ground unmoving and breathing slowly.

"_You... won't... win._" Izuku muttered before Deku simply put his foot on Izuku's chest.

"**I just did.**" At this, the gray smoke surrounding them swirled around and everything faded away as Deku woke up. Holding his head, he grinned to himself and went back to sleep.

* * *

**_Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Finally! It's done! Oh my god, this chapter took forever! Well, to be fair, I WAS trying to condense about four/five-ish episodes into a single chapter. Sorry in advance for the massive chapter, unless you wanted more to read, in which case here you go! Anyway, with one less thing going on in my life, I'll have more time to work on the story. So, hopefully I can get chapters out quicker, but I make no promises. Until next time, thanks for readin_****_g!_**


	7. Chaos at Camp

_**All for One's Medical Facility, later:**_

"_Sources saying that the technology stolen came from Dr. David Shield, but what the device was is still unclear-_" _*click*_

"_I-Island saying that Dr. Shield may have orchestrated the attack-_" _*click*_

"-_no comment on how the stolen technology disappeared, but thanks to the assistance of All Might, the villains were caught in the end._" All for One turned off the screen, and turned to his doctor.

"And how is the device?"

"Well, if you're certain on using it how you want to, I'm not certain it'll work. But, what is science but trial and error?" The doctor hooked up the device to several other machines, and put two vials of red liquid in two slots of another device.

"If this succeeds, All Might and his new protégé will not be an issue to use any longer." he smiled as the machines whirled to life and electricity began to flow through the air.

_**Gran Torino's Apartment, days later:**_

"Keep up your form!" Gran Torino and Mirio were going head to head, both currently trying to land a solid hit on the other. As Mirio dodged an attack he slammed into Torino's arm, sending the old pro flying into a pile of old boxes.

"Ah! Torino, are you okay?" Mirio helped him up, and Torino simply laughed.

"I'm fine, boy. I'm fine. You're getting better at this. You've really gotten the hang of One for All." Torino smiled and flexed his arms and legs.

"Thank you, sir." Mirio bowed, and Torino got a serious look on his face.

"Any way, I'm sure Toshinori told you. About the history of his quirk, and who you'll need to use it against." At this, Mirio went stiff, and looked to the ground.

"... Yes, sir... to be honest, I'm not entirely certain I could handle someone like All for One. The Symbol of Evil who nearly killed All Might... But I'm still going to try my best! After all, I'm Lemillion! The hero who'll save a million people!" Mirio beamed with his heroic smile, and Gran Torino swore he saw a younger Toshinori looking at him.

"Well then, let's get back to work." And the pair returned to sparring, with Mirio now more confident than ever.

_**Weeks later, the League of Villains Bar:**_

"Oof! No fair! You've got more practice than me, Deku!" Toga pouted after Deku had slammed her to the ground again. The girl had a good quirk, but her combat skills left something to be desired.

"That's why we're training. Now, let's go again." Deku helped her up and the two squared off with their knives, both trying to slash each other. Kurogiri came in the room and cleared his throat, causing the two to stop.

"We've learned where the students will be attending their summer training. Our master wants everyone ready to move by tomorrow." At this, Deku bowed his head, and went off to get the rest of the League's members.

_**All for One's Medical Facility, hours later:**_

The doctor injected a glowing yellow serum into a Nomu and stood back as All for One used it like a puppet to attack a wall. The metal caved at the impact, and All for One smiled.

"It seems we succeeded." At this, red tendrils shot from his fingers and latched onto the skinny Nomu. The creature roared in pain, and after a few moments, All for One stopped.

"Well?" the doctor came over to his master, who simply sighed in disbelief.

"It seems my brother's curse remains in effect. The power can't be taken, merely given. However, with the second dose we have, that will not be an issue."

"I'm just grateful we managed to GET a second dose before the device failed on us." The doctor looked back to a broken and charred assortment of machines now resting on the floor as All for One made his way to

"Indeed. A shame we loss Dr Shield's Quirk Amplifier, but now... now we have One for All." All for One held up the second vial and smiled, knowing that now All Might would no longer be a problem.

_**The next day, Near The Beast's Forest in Nagano Prefecture, Deku Age 16:**_

The League stepped out of Kurogiri's gate and overlooked the forest where Class 1-A was having their summer training. Deku stepped forward and looked at everyone through his skull-like mask.

"Everyone remember the plan. Cause trouble, get the pros, leave the children scared and beaten. Nobody fails, nobody gets left behind."

"We don't get to kill anyone?" Muscular spoke out, and Deku sighed.

"Master would like the pros given to him, and we're not here to slaughter children. Right, Tomura?" Deku turned to the League's leader, who simply laughed.

"Right. They can live for now, we'll crush them when they're real heroes. Oh, and make sure to grab the boy Bakugo. He could be pretty useful to us. Now, let's go." At this, the rest of the League ran off, leaving Deku in his lookout position. He clenched his fist. They wanted Bakugo, why? He was too stubborn to become a villain, he wanted to prove he could be the top hero. He put these thoughts aside for now, he had to focus on the mission. He clicked his com-set in his helmet and broadcast to all channels.

"All members: report in."

_"Tomura. Looking for people."_

_"Dabi here. Working on getting a few pros down."_

_"Toga here. Found a few people to play with. Shh."_

_"Compress, currently searching for Bakugo."_

_"Twice, having a good time. **No I'm not**."_

_"Spinner and Magne, found some students. Engaging now."_

_"Mustard, found another group. Engaging now."_

_"Moonfish, engaging now." _As all the members checked in, Deku noticed someone hadn't. Muscular was silent, and Deku was instantly uneasy. Either someone had taken him out already or he was off mission already. This was why Deku hated wild cards like that brute.

"...Muscular, report in... Muscular!" Deku growled and went off in Muscular's direction. He had been wary of Muscular joining from the beginning. The brute had a good amount of raw power, but he was a simple thug who thought only of killing those who got in his way.

"_I seem to be the only one here who doesn't actually have that compulsion._" He thought to himself He had been running for a good while before finally seeing Muscular at his peak form in front of what looked like a child. A young little boy with a spiked hat on, currently crying in fear.

"_**STOP HIM! HE'S GONNA KILL HIM!**_" Izuku's voice rang out, and Deku shot a burst of flame near Muscular's head to get his attention.

"MUSCULAR! This is not the mission! And that one is not our target!" Deku raised his blade, and his ally simply laughed.

"What are you gonna do with that? You think you can cut me?"

"I don't need to." Deku made fire flow over his blade and ran towards Muscular. He slashed time after time, burning and knocking back Muscular with the shock waves from Hell Force.

"Heh heh. Tickles." Muscular rushed him, but Deku knew his fighting style. Simple swings with brute force behind them, but no real defense against close attacks. As the lumbering form of Muscular swung another punch, Deku slipped under his reach, pointed his knife at the man's face and shot a huge burst of fire at it. As the flames charred Muscular's face, the shock wave that followed put him on the ground. As Deku stood over his now unconscious opponent, he turned to see the boy now sitting up with tears almost gone.

"What's your name, kid?"

"... Kota."

"Forget this ever happened, Kota. And forget about me."

"... why did you save me? Aren't you a villain?" Deku stopped, and thought about it. Why DID he save him? He attacked his teammate, put down one of their strongest members... why? Because of the mission, because he needed to keep people on task, because of his hate towards him?

"_**Because even if you're a villain... you're still me.**_" Izuku's voice caused him to pause, and Deku simply clenched his fist in anger.

"... Because you're a kid. And because you weren't the mission." Deku ran off, not looking back. He wasn't Izuku, he wasn't that weakling who wanted to be a hero. He was his master's weapon, a blade to end the age of heroes. As he was running, he saw someone in the forest. Stopping, he saw Bakugo. This was it, his perfect moment. He walked into the clearing, and Bakugo got ready to fight. Deku took off his helmet and tossed it aside, smiling at Bakugo.

"Hello Katsuki." Deku twirled his knife in the air and walked towards Bakugo, who simply stood ready to fight.

"Izuku..."

"No. Izuku's tucked away into my mind. I'm what you might call his dark side, Deku. And I've been looking forward to this for a long time. The day I leave you beaten and bruised in the dirt, the day I finally show you what you made me, the day I finally win."

"Izuku!"

"Little Midoriya isn't here right now! Leave a message after the boom!" Deku shouted out, blasting a bolt of fire at Bakugo who dodged out in the nick of time. The shock wave that followed made him stubble back a bit, and Deku charged with another blast. Bakugo unleashed his own quirk close to Deku's chest, causing the villain to sidestep.

"I have to admit, you're a lot more of a challenge now. But so am I. My master made sure to make me perfect my power, while you're still working on yours."

"Izuku, please! Stop this!" Bakugo blasted at the villain, only to see the boy side-step.

"I'M! NOT! IZUKU!" Deku blasted a giant wave of fire at Bakugo, causing the young man to use his quirk to try and deflect it. Most of the flames dissipated in front of him, but the shock wave knocked him to the ground. Deku walked slowly over to him, twirling his knife. "You know my name. You gave it to me. Go on... _**say it**_."

"Izuku, I know you're in there!"

"Yeah, he is. But all he can do is scream into the void. Even now I can hear his voice. "Don't hurt him, please stop!". It's pathetic. Even now, he doesn't hate you. All he wanted was to be a friend to you, to be like you. Hell, I don't know if he looked up to you or All Might more! And you treated him like dirt!"

"... I'm not giving up on you." Bakugo muttered while trying to hold his ground.

"And why is that? Because you feel guilty, because you hate what you did, because you can't stand the idea of me being better than you?!"

"Because I promised your mom I'd bring you home... She never stopped looking for you, never stopped hoping you'd come home. Even after the USJ, all she wants is you back. And I'm going to make sure that happens!" Bakugo coughed out, and Deku's stance relaxed slightly at hearing that. He stared at his old friend and former bully, before smiling.

"An empty promise... from a naive child. You were an idiot to even think you'd survive this fight." Deku raised his knife and fire flowed over it, glowing brighter and brighter. Bakugo tried to get to his feet, but his injuries were more painful to fight against than he thought.

"**_No, no, no! Don't you dare! Don't you dare! I WON'T LET YOU KILL HIM!_**" Izuku screamed out, and the blackness that surrounded his vision began to blow away, until he could see Bakugo in front of him clear as day. He dropped the knife, the flames slowly dying out as it fell to the dirt. He fell to his knees in front of Bakugo, who saw tear filled green eyes looking back at him.

"... Kacchan... I'm so sorry... the things he made me do-" Izuku gasped as he saw the darkness begin to slowly creep back into his vision, and Bakugo saw one of his eyes turning red slowly.

"Izuku, what-"

"He's too strong, I can't fight him, he's taking back control... Look in Kamino Ward." One of Izuku's eyes was now completely red, and the other was slowly changing.

"_**YOU ARE NOT GETTING RID OF ME THAT EASILY!**_" Deku's voice rang out in Izuku's head, and Izuku's vision was going darker than it ever had been.

"... Kacchan... please... save me." Izuku sobbed as his eye went red, and his face changed into one of anger. Deku was now in control again, and he blasted at Bakugo knocking him back a few feet. Bakugo lay on the ground, looking up at his old friend. Deku growled in anger at Bakugo, and another villain came up to Deku.

"Excellent, you found him. Now then-" Compress raised his hand at Bakugo, only to have it swatted away by Deku.

"Forget it. He's not fit for the League, no matter what we do. Let's meet up with the remaining members and go back." Deku rubbed his shoulder and picked his knife off the ground.

"But Tomura said-" Compress was cut off as Deku's knife was held to his throat.

"Tomura made a miscalculation. And I am making this call since he isn't here. We're leaving. Now." He walked over to his helmet and spoke into the communicator. "All members, report."

"_I'm having trouble!" _Toga came through.

_"A pro's giving me a hard time." _That one was Dabi.

_"We're getting overrun here." _Tomura shouted out.

_"Magno and I need an extraction. Mustard and Moonfish are already down, but we've managed to snag one of the heroes._" Spinner called out.

"Muscular is down as well. Kurogiri, we need to go." At this, Deku and Compress saw a portal open in front of them and stepped through. Bakugo looked on in confusion at what just happened.

"_... Kacchan... please... save me_." Izuku's words repeated themselves in his head, and Bakugo clenched his fists. He was still in there, his old friend. As he sat there, a few students came over to him.

"Bakugo! Hey, you alright?" Kirishima held Bakugo's shoulders and watched as Bakugo almost began to cry.

_**Training Camp Building, later:**_

The police had gathered about a half hour or so after the incident, arresting Moonfish, Mustard and Muscular. Several police were getting statements from students and the other heroes. Aizawa spoke with All Might who had arrived as well.

"No major injuries, no causalities. But Ragdoll was taken by a pair of villains. Bakugo says that he encountered Midoriya, and that he seemed to be under some kind of mind control or something. Personally, I think he might be reading too much into it."

"Maybe, but given what we know, we can't rule it out completely." All Might crossed his arms, and thought to himself. "_Especially if HE'S behind this._"

"All Might!" Bakugo's voice rang out and the young man rushed up to the number one hero. "He told me to save him! You're gonna save him, right? He said to look in Kamino ward. You're bringing him back, right?!" All Might looked into Bakugo's eyes and saw a scared kid looking back at him. He put his hand on Bakugo's shoulder and gave his signature smile.

"... Of course, young Bakugo. I promise you, we'll bring back Izuku Midoriya."

_**League of Villains Bar, earlier:**_

The remaining members walked through the warp gate and saw All for One's screen turned on.

"_Now, now. I know you all feel like you failed, but we still have success. Now we have a more adequate understanding of these new young heroes, and we managed to snag one of the pros. You all performed well, even those we lost today. Mustard and Moonfish were loyal soldiers, and Muscular could've given us quite an advantage in our next stage._" All for One spoke in a kind voice to them, and Deku stepped forward.

"... Master... Muscular's capture... was my fault." There was a tension in the air before All for One spoke again.

"**_... Explain yourself, Deku._**" His master's voice was filled with a cold tranquil fury, and Deku shuddered and gulped before he answered.

"He went off mission, attacking a child. Not one of the students, a young CHILD. He was a brute who had no desire to follow through on your ideals for the League. He needed to be dealt with before he became a risk to us!"

"_... I will discuss this with you later, my boy. For now all of you await for further instructions._" The screen went black, and Deku stood there in fear of what his master would do to him.

_**Police Headquarters, a day later:**_

All Might, Endeavor, Gran Torino and several other heroes and police were gathered in the meeting room to hear what Tsukauchi had to tell them about the operation.

"All right, listen up! Our priority is taking down the League of Villains. Thanks to one of the UA students, we now know the location of two of their hideouts. We'll strike both simultaneously. Our secondary objective is the capture or retrieval of Izuku Midoriya, who we believe may be under some form of mind control. I'll be honest, if this operation fails, it may very possibly be the beginning of the end for hero society. We'll make sure this incident is resolved successfully."

"This is our chance to finally get some answers about that boy, and to retrieve my comrade Ragdoll. We will do our best, sir." the hero Tiger spoke to the room, and

"Our intel says that Midoriya is at the primary location, so the bulk of our forces will be sent there. At the same time, we'll gain control of the secondary hideout and cut off their escape." Tsukauchi went off, and Gran Torino turned to All Might.

"Toshinori, if they want an old timer like me-"

"Old or not, you're still Gran Torino. And with stakes this high, I'm certain **he's** involved."

"The villains won't suspect us to attack after hearing Nezu's clueless act during the press conference. We have the element of surprise. So let's so these villains why they won't succeed!" Tsukauchi shouted out, and the rest of the room gave a shout of enthusiasm at this.

_**League of Villains Bar:**_

Kurogiri's phone rang to his surprise.

"Yes, master? ... Oh course, sir... Yes, right away. Deku." Kurogiri hung up as Deku came forward. "Master wishes for you to speak with him at the warehouse location. He says there are matters he must discuss with you. The rest of us are to remain here for further instructions." Kurogiri opened up a gate, and Deku stepped through. After he was gone, Kurogiri returned to the bar and Tomura walked up to him.

"And me? Master didn't mention me?"

"No, actually. I believe he wanted to discuss the encounter Deku had with Muscular."

"... He wants him to take over, not me... right, Kurogiri?" At this, Kurogiri simply stood still, and the rest of the League watched him to see what the two would do to each other.

"Tomura-"

"He wants him to lead, it's obvious. The way he talks to him, the way Deku acts, the way you look at the two of us differently. He's going to be given my spot, isn't he?!"

"Tomura, I-"

_KNOCK KNOCK_

"_Hello? I gotta pizza delivery here._" The entire bar went dead silent in confusion, all of them looking at the door. The silence was broken by a crash through the rear wall, where the form of All Might appeared.

"SMASH!"

"Kurogiri! GATE!" Kurogiri tried to open a warp gate, only to see Kamui Woods burst in right behind All Might.

"Preemptive Binding-" His arms spread out and gripped all the villains in wooden binds. "Lacquered Chain Prison." At this, Dabi started to use his quirk. Gran Torino then leapt in and slammed the burnt young man unconscious.

"You can't run anymore, League of Villains, because we are here!" All Might smiled widely at the villains and heard his walkie talkie go off.

"_This is Gang Orca. We've taken down the Nomus, and we've found the secondary target. I repeat, we have Izuku Midoriya in custody._" After hearing this, Tomura saw Kurogiri fall to the bar and the hero Edgeshot come into view.

"He was a tricky one, so I messed with his insides and made him pass out. You've got nowhere to go."

"No... no... You damn heroes! You've ruined everything! You and your peace and justice, you damn heroes! MASTER! HELP US!" At this, the villains in the bar were surrounded by a grayish goo and then sucked away inside of it. The forms disappeared, leaving only the heroes and police remaining. Several more blobs appeared, bring forth Nomus to fight the heroes. Turning around, Kamui Woods saw more Nomus engaging the police on the street and Endeavor going head to head with a few of them. The situation was complete panic for those present, but they were heroes, and they were determined.

_**Kamino Ward Warehouse, minutes earlier:**_

Deku stepped out of Kurogiri's gate and walked past the stasis chamber holding several Nomu. He saw the sleeping form of the hero Ragdoll that they had taken, and walked past to the rear area where his master was waiting. He was now clad in a skull-like mask with several tubes connecting at several areas in his apparatus. All for One turned to Deku, the mask giving him an air of cruelty to him. All for One placed his hand on Deku's shoulder, and the boy relaxed under his master's caring embrace.

"My boy, I have something for you. The doctor and I worked tirelessly on it, and we believe we have succeeded." He guided him towards a workbench where several machines and a glowing vial of liquid was sitting. All for One picked up the vial and held it out to Deku.

"This is our weapon against All Might and his successor Mirio. This is One for All, distilled, pure, at its base form. It took quite a while to achieve, and the device we retrieved from I-Island was damaged to the point of non-functionality. But now we have All Might's power. True, it's about a fourth as strong as his version and can't be stolen by my power, but it is One for All. With this, you can bring about our age of villains. Once All Might is dead, take this and use his own power to crush the precious people he sought to protect."

"_**... No. No... My god... you can't-**_" Izuku's voice was one of disbelief, and was more quiet than usual in Deku's head. Deku looked at the vial, and simply shook his head.

"Master, Tomura should be the one to have this honor. I'm not worthy of this."

"And why do you think that?"

"... Izuku Midoriya took control of me. It was for a few moments, but he managed to overpower me. I failed... I was weak." Deku bowed his head in shame, and All for One simply stood silent.

"... This is... unfortunate. But still, if you believe it would be better suited for Tomura." All for One handed the vial to Deku, who accepted it and placed it in his pocket. "Deliver it to him yourself, to show the confidence you have in him. That should help put his mind at ease a bit."

"Yes, master. But Izuku-"

"My boy, you are strong. You are power. You are my blade that will twist into this society of heroes, bringing it crumbling down. Izuku took control for a moment, but you are the one before me. You are the one in control, now and forever. Remember what I've taught you, and you will be Izuku's master."

"... Thank you, master. I will not fail you again." Deku got to his feet, and walked to the entrance of the warehouse, more confident than ever now. He looked to the sky in happiness, only to see a giant shadow come falling towards the roof. Rolling to the side, he barely managed to avoid a giant foot with a truck on it bursting through the ceiling. Deku saw the form of Mt. Lady holding a pair of Nomu before he felt his clothes tighten and restrain him. He looked to the side and saw Best Jeanist there with Gang Orca. The whale-like man spoke into a walkie-talkie once he saw Deku.

"This is Gang Orca. We've taken down the Nomus, and we've found the secondary target. I repeat, we have Izuku Midoriya in custody."

"I am not MIDORIYA!" Deku tried squirming out, but his now restraining fabric was holding him too tight. Tiger went over to the unconscious body of Ragdoll.

"Ragdoll, wake up for me!... What have they done to you, my friend?" The hero Tiger was holding the sleeping form of another pro, one they had taken earlier. Deku grinned. They thought they had won. However, there was something the heroes didn't know. His master was here.

"_**No, no, run away! Orca, Jeanist, everyone run! HE'LL KILL ALL OF YOU!**_" Izuku's voice rang out in Deku's head as All for One slowly walked to the heroes.

"I'm sorry for her current state, Tiger. But her quirk was so useful I just had to take it. How could I not? I haven't been able to stock up on quirks like I did before my body was destroyed." All for One's voice brought a chill through the air, and Best Jeanist used his quirk to restrain the man. All for One simply chuckled and used his air cannon quirk to blast himself free and target the heroes as well.

"Tomura finally came around to thinking rationally and making his own decisions. And yet you all got in his way. All that progress for naught. And you even tried to take back my prize student Deku. How arrogant of you all to try and do so. Now then, shall we begin?" All for One clapped as he saw what the hero had done.

"Using your quirk to pull them all to safety in the nick of time. I see now why you're the number four pro, with your creative thinking in battle. Consider me impressed." At this, Best Jeanist fired off threads at All for One, who simply blasted his air cannon into the hero's stomach. A gaping wound was followed up with a burst of pavement and rubble under the hero. All for One went over to Deku, and helped the boy up. "What do you think of his quirk, my boy?"

"... It would require practical experience and practice. Not really useful, especially if you're looking for raw power." As he finished, several blobs appeared, and the rest of the League appeared. As they all gagged and coughed, Tomura went over to All for One.

"Master! The heroes, they found us! We were almost done for! If All Might hadn't-"

"Tomura, listen to me." All for One put his hand on Tomura's shoulder. "You failed once more, but you mustn't be discouraged. You and your associates and your brother Deku are free to try again. Start over as many times as it takes you, and I will be here to guide you. All of this is for you." All for One helped Tomura to his feet, and Deku reached to his pocket and touched the vial before his master looked to the sky.

"... There you are." All for One pushed Tomura to the side and Deku saw the form of All Might falling to the scene. All Might attacked with both fists, only to be caught by All for One.

"I'll have you release that young man from your grip, All for One!"

"Have you come to kill me a second time, All Might?"

* * *

_**Hey guys, author here! Wow, that was another long one! And hopefully, the next one will take less time to do. Well, that's unlikely, because the next one is THE BEST FIGHT IN THE WHOLE SERIES and I am going to do it justice! However, with the holidays right around the corner I'll have less time to work on this, so be patient with me. So, as always, hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading!**_


	8. All Might vs All for One

**_Kamino Ward:_**

All for One and All Might's collision sent debris and dust into the air, and the two were pushed back from the resulting blast.

"It took you long enough to get here. Thirty seconds to travel five kilometers. You're getting weaker, All Might."

"You're one to talk, with that atrocious life support mask you have on. You're overexerting yourself, aren't you? I won't make the same mistake I did years ago, you hear? I'll take young Midoriya from your control and I'll make sure you and your despicable League are locked up for the rest of your sad lives!" All Might rushed forward, fist aimed at his enemy.

"You've got your work cut out for you then, don't you? This'll be a burden for us both." All for One created an air cannon as All Might's fist made contact, blowing him back and crushing a few buildings in the process.

"I must say, this combination of quirks is quite useful. Perhaps a few more enhancers next time." All for One chuckled as the League got to their feet.

"Tomura, it's best you all leave the battlefield. I will handle things with All Might." Tendrils of red and black went from his fingers into Kurogiri, and a warp gate opened up. "Forcible Quirk Activation! Leave this place, now." At this, the villains all went towards the portal, Deku and Tomura being the last. Deku froze in place before Tomura almost walked through. He turned back to Deku and clenched his fists.

"... Deku, we need to stay. Master's body is too damaged, he'll need our help. We can kill the Symbol of Peace, by our master's side... Deku?" Tomura saw Deku grunting and shaking, as the young boy gripped his fists.

"_I need to retreat. Master gave me an order. So why can't I move?_" Deku watched as the vision around his eyes began to brighten. "_No... no, you are not taking control! You are not stronger than me!_"

"**_He'll kill All Might. He'll succeed if I run away. I won't... I CAN'T LET THAT HAPPEN! ALL MIGHT HAS TO LIVE!_**" Izuku's voice rang out and Deku's head jerked towards Tomura, who now saw one green and one red eye staring at him. The young man blasted at Tomura with his fire, forcing him back through the portal that closed suddenly.

"Deku, what are you doing?" All for One looked at his young apprentice as he turned to show his now dual eye color. The green and red were now swirling together, and All for One stood taller.

"... Izuku." he managed to get out before the form of All Might came back into view. As he countered the hero's attack, Izuku blasted his master's side with fire. All Might looked confused, but not breaking off his attack. Izuku kept up with the fire blasts, always staying out of All for One's range. A burst of steam going past told Izuku Gran Torino had arrived.

"Toshinori, what's that kid doing? Isn't he on their side?"

"Indeed, my boy. Why ARE you fighting your MASTER?!" All for One blasted at Izuku, who put his own blast in front of him to try and stay standing. Putting one hand behind his back, he concentrated a ball of fire in one hand.

"I WON'T LET YOU KILL ALL MIGHT! YOU'RE NOT GOING TO WIN, ALL FOR ONE! I'M GOING TO STOP YOU AND SAVE THE SYMBOL OF PEACE, SO THAT YOUR PLAN WILL FAIL! NO MATTER WHAT I LOSE, WHAT I HAVE TO SACRIFICE, I'M NOT GOING TO BE THE VILLAIN ANYMORE!" Izuku pulled his hand from behind his back and aimed at All for One. "HELL FORCE: INFERNAL DETONATION!" the ball shot forward, and a blast of fire swept over All for One's surroundings and the shock wave cracked the debris around them in two.

**_Bakugo Residence, moments earlier:_**

The Bakugos had just finished up dinner and Masaru went to the living room as Mitsuki turned to her son.

"Katsuki, make sure to do the dishes. And stop looking so dead inside." She held Katsuki in her arms and the young man relaxed a little. "The pros will find him, okay? Things will work out in the end."

"Yeah, All Might's the best hero in the world. Of course he can save Midoriya." Masaru flicked on the news and gasped in surprise at what he saw. His wife and son joined him as the camera showed a warehouse blown open and All Might standing off against a man in a black suit and mask.

"_The villains are currently engaged with All Might, and a few pro heroes are currently on the ground. It looks like they're hurt._" The camera panned over to the villains, one of which had green hair with a knife in his hand.

"... Is- Is that-" Mitsuki stared at the screen, and Katsuki rushed to the phone. As he dialed, he watched as Izuku got to his feet. All Might had found him, now he just needed to save him.

**_Midoriya Residence, moments earlier:_**

Inko was eating dinner when she got a phone call, hastily swallowing to answer.

"Hello?"

"_Auntie __Inko, turn on the news! Now!_" Katsuki's voice rang out, and Inko ran to the living room and turned on the TV. The camera showed a debris ridden block, and a group of people heading towards what looked like a black hole.

"_The scene below is one to behold. It looks like the League of Villains is currently retreating, and what appears to be their leader- wait, what was- Are you seeing this?_" The camera showed a green haired individual fighting against a man in a black suit and mask. The younger one was blasting fire at the man, not letting up as All Might also attacked.

"... Izuku... he's fighting a super villain!" She beamed with pride before absolute terror washed over her. "... **_IZUKU'S FIGHTING A SUPER VILLAIN!_**" Inko cried out in fear, clutching the remote to her chest.

"_It looks like one of their number has turned against the leader and is now assisting All Might in fighting him. Who is this individual, and why is he fighting alongside the Symbol of Peace? Wait, it seems the young man has landed a powerful blow against the villain._" The screen showed a large blast of fire and a gust of wind flowed it.

**_Kamino Ward, Now:_**

Izuku panted for breath, legs uneasy as tendrils of red and black stabbed him in the chest.

"A pity." All for One appeared from the smoke, almost unphased with his clothes and mask slightly singed.

"_How did he survive that?!_" Izuku thought to himself as he felt pain radiate through his body.

"I had such high hopes for you, Izuku. But it seems you're no longer worth the effort." All for One ripped the tendrils away, and Izuku felt something he hadn't felt in a long time: powerless, quirkless, and free. He slumped to the ground, out of breath and trying to move. All for One had taken his quirks, he was free of Dark Mind but now he no longer had Hell Force. Now, he was of no use in the fight.

"I'm amazed you're still conscious after that. Your resolve must be truly strong to survive my quirk stealing. In any case, I think it's time you were put down before you cause me more trouble, my boy." All for One's air cannon inflated, and Izuku tried to move, to no avail. Gran Torino and All Might rushed All for One, who simply warped the older pro into All Might's fist. "Warping! Plus Shock Inversion!" All Might's own blow blasted him back after it gave Gran Torino a sizable lump on his cheek.

"Sorry, Torino!"

"I was only here to help my boys, but if you wish to fight, then I'll face you as you wish. Your fists crushed hundreds of my comrades in the past, forcing many of them into the shadows. All while you rose to the title of Symbol of Peace, as you stood atop our sacrifices! A hero standing on the mountain of our defeats." All for One got another blast ready as All Might posed to strike with another blow.

"DETROIT SMASH!" As he pulled Gran Torino from the warp gate, he made contact with his enemy who unleashed his own attack simultaneously. The pro hero was forced back, and Gran Torino was laid on the ground next to Izuku.

"Young man, stay here and look after him while I finish this." All Might smiled, and as he turned back, Izuku grabbed his shoulder and got close to his ear.

"You won't stop him with your normal style, he's amplified himself to withstand almost anything. Besides, you're nearly out of power." At this, All Might gasped. This boy knew about his time limit?

"Your strength has been dwindling, right? You need to get in close to finish him. Whatever you need to do, whatever you need to sacrifice, you can't let him win." Izuku pulled back, and All Might saw tears in the boy's eyes.

"... Don't worry, young Midoriya. Everything will be okay. BECAUSE I AM HERE!" And with that, All Might turned back to All for One.

"You still won't fight me at your full power, will you? All to protect the innocent people in the way behind you. Perhaps I'll just crush them first, so you won't have anything left to care about."

"YOU SHUT UP! You toy with people, probe their weaknesses, steal their power, break them, control them, manipulate and discard them. And you scoff and the innocent people who are just trying to live happy lives!" All Might rushed forward, grabbing All for One's left arm and gearing up for another attack. "IT CANNOT CONTINUE! I WON'T LET IT!" His fist made contact with the villain's mask, and the duo fell to the ground in a blast of wind and debris. Gran Torino groaned, woke up and looked up at All Might, who was currently steaming.

"...Toshinori... you've reached your limit." All Might was breathing hard, and for the first time in a long time, he felt rightfully and truly exhausted.

"You seem to be worked up about something, All Might. I heard those exact words before, from the person who held One for All before you. Your precious master, Nana Shimura. You have so much in common with her, the utter waste of a human who gave you this power." All for One boasted, and All Might could see his old master in his head, speaking to him again.

"_You should be proud, Toshinori, but after the long hard road you went to attain this power, it's gonna take some time to master it._"

"My master was a **true hero**. Keep her name out of your filthy mouth!" All Might pressed his fist down harder, and All for One chuckled.

"A woman with no skills of her own and grand ideals she would NEVER live up to. It was embarrassing for me to see HER inherit the power I created. And her death was so pathetic. Would you like to hear all about it?" At this, All Might raised in fist with his eyes glowing with anger.

"**ENOUGH!**" All Might went to land his blow, only to receive a blast from All for One's air cannon. As he flew through the sky, All Might coughed up some blood. As he almost collided with a helicopter, Gran Torino grabbed him from mid air and blasted them back down to safety.

"Gran Torino?! What about-"

"Midoriya's fine, hiding behind a bunch of rubble! But you've gotta calm down, Toshinori. You let him distract you last time and he escaped after putting a hole in your stomach! Don't let him get under your skin. His quirks and fighting style have changed since then, you'll have to be careful and use your wits. You can't face him head on like last time."

"..._That's exactly what Midoriya said to me._" All Might looked at his opponent and his resolve grew stronger.

"It's do or die time. You need to go past your limit!" Torino got ready to help All Might, who coughed one last time.

"... I will." All Might clenched his fists.

**_Bakugo Residence, earlier:_**

Katsuki watched as Izuku was stabbed by the villain's power and fell to the ground. A wave of dread washed over him.

"... get up, you damn nerd! Run! Stay alive! You can't die yet!"

**_Midoriya Residence, earlier:_**

The camera showed Izuku being stabbed by tendrils from the villain, and he went still while the villain simply floated in the air.

"_It seems the young man has been drained somehow. He's not moving!_"

"IZUKU! IZUKU, RUN!" Inko screamed at the screen, only to see the villain charge up his power aiming at her unmoving son. The villain was faced by All Might and another hero, and Inko gasped in relief.

"_It looks like All Might and the other hero are standing their ground against this madman. All Might seems to be saying something to him- wait! Yes! He's landed a blow! The villain is down! All Might is currently- Oh no, no, no, no, NO!_" The cameraman shouted out as All Might's form came flying at the camera, only to be blown out of the way by something. The camera panned back to the two powerhouses facing off with one another.

"_The scene below is straight out of a nightmare. Half of Kamino Ward was destroyed in the battle, and All Might is currently engaged with the villain who cause the blast. I don't believe this! How is one man so powerful? He's holding his own against the Symbol of Peace, even after causing all this destruction._" Inko watched on, shaking in terror and crying.

"... All Might... please win... Win. Bring him home. Bring my boy home!"

**_Kamino Ward, now:_**

"I'm conflicted at this moment. Tomura and Deku were the ones to chip away at society's trust in heroes. So is it fair for me to be the one to land the final blow? As much as you hate me, I loathe you more All Might. I took your master, but you took so much from me. My army, my power, my body, and everything I tried to build. Which is why I'll make you suffer until your final breath, dying broken and disgraced for the whole world to witness." All for One prepared his air cannon for another blast.

"A big one's coming! Dodge and counter!"

"Not EVERYONE is as fast as you two." All for One pointed his arm away from the duo, and All Might saw his target out of the corner of his eye. A woman trapped in the rubble, unmoving. Gran Torino tried to get to her, but the blast was coming.

"I will obliterate everything that you've protected!" All for One blasted, and All Might struggled to deflect the blast. As the impact blew dust into the air, Izuku looked on as he saw All for One standing proud and tall. "First to go will be your self-respect and ridiculous public image. Show them all how pathetic you truly are, "Symbol of Peace"."

**_Midoriya Residence, now:_**

The screen showed the dust cloud fading away to reveal a scrawny skeletal-thin man in All Might's costume. His fist was raised at the villain, bleeding slightly from his fingers. Inko stared at the screen in disbelief. THIS was All Might, the Symbol of Peace?

"... Al- All Might?"

"_What's wrong? Is- is everyone else seeing this? It looks like All Might has been... shrunk somehow!_"

"All Might..."

**_Bakugo Residence, now:_**

Katsuki watched as the form of All Might took over the screen. How could this guy, this scrawny little skeleton man, be All Might? The Symbol of Peace was just a weakling, just a ordinary guy... just like him. Just like Izuku...

**_Togata Residence, now:_**

Mirio watched in horror as All Might's real face was shown. He recalled what he had said when the pair first met, when Togata had learned the truth about his dwindling strength.

"_This injury happened years ago, did everything I could to keep it under wraps. I've tried to hide it as best I can, so the public doesn't freak out. I'm supposed to be the guy who's always smiling, right? I'm the Symbol of Peace, the guy who's never afraid or vulnerable._"

"_All Might... your secret... now they'll all know. The public, the pros, even the villains._"

**_Kamino Ward, now:_**

All for One stood across from his enemy, and Izuku looked on in terror.

"_All Might... Now the pubic knows. They'll think you can't save them. And you don't have that much strength left... This can't be how it ends.!_"

"Hollow cheeks and sunken eyes. How gruesome a look for the number one hero, now that the public knows your true self. Try not to be ashamed... your move." All for One chuckled, but All Might simply stood tall, and gripped his fist.

"Even as you expose my weak form, even as my body grows frail... in my heart, I remain the Symbol of Peace. AND NOTHING YOU DO CAN TAKE THAT FROM ME!" All Might smiled in defiance and Izuku knew this wasn't the end yet. All Might still had the fight in him, and that was all that mattered for the moment.

"Very well, then. I forgot about that stubborn nature of yours. I suppose I should just give up. Oh, but before I do, there's one more thing I'd like you to know. My apprentice, Tomura Shigaraki... is Nana Shimura's grandson." All for One watched as All Might's face went from one of triumph to one of dread. Izuku gasped in surprise. This was the first time he ever heard about this.

"I kept wondering what would annihilate your golden heart. So I found Tomura, all abandoned and alone in this world of heroes. I took him as my own, groomed him to hate you, and watched as you smiled while beating your master's descendant. But then, I found Izuku as well. A quirkless child with no real goal than to become a hero just like you, his greatest idol. So I put him under my control, and trained him tirelessly to be the perfect weapon against you. Two children who're connected to you serving as your end."

"You- you're lying..." All Might shuddered from hearing all this.

"Oh come now. You know it's true, that's clearly something I would do." All for One watched as All Might lowered his arms, and chuckled to himself. "Well well, All Might. This is strange... where is your smile now?" The villain laughed and saw as All Might shook and shuddered with a look of pure despair on his face.

"You... bastard..."

"How very entertaining. I think I've taken a piece of your spirit after all." All for One watched as All Might let out a scream of pain, and saw the woman in the rubble move.

"Don't... lose... Keep going... All Might. WE NEED YOU!" she weakly lifted her head to him, crying out in panic.

**_Togata Residence, now:_**

Mirio looked on as his new mentor was unmoving, and he began to cry.

"_All Might, keep going. Don't give up now. You taught me that without the will to fight, the battle's lost. Don't lose your will! Not yet!_"

**_Bakugo Residence, now:_**

Katsuki simply stared at his screen, and tears began forming in his eyes.

"... Beat this guy... you've always won before. Win now!"

**_Midoriya Residence, now:_**

"_All Might seems to be frozen. It's like he's unsure what to do._"

"All Might... you can win. Even if you look completely different, you're still All Might. You can do it, beat him. Save us... save him."

**_Kamino Ward, now:_**

All Might was still frozen in place, and Izuku called out from his vantage point.

"ALL MIGHT, YOU HAVE TO WIN! NO MATTER WHAT, YOU CAN'T LET HIM BEAT YOU! IF YOU DO, EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE WILL HAVE BEEN FOR NOTHING! BE THE SYMBOL OF PEACE WE KNOW YOU ARE! WIN THIS! BEAT HIM!" Izuku looked on as his hero lifted his arm into the air and muscles began to form.

"Have no fear, my boy... I'm not done yet. You were right, All for One. A hero has so much to protect in this world. Which is why... I WILL DEFEAT YOU!" All Might smiled brightly and he could hear his master's words in his head.

"_Toshinori, when you think you can't go on any longer, look inside. Remember why you fight. Remember where you came from, keeping your origin in mind will help push you past your limits._" All Might recalled his master's words, and then remembered what he told her his goal for the world was. His grand ideal for his new mission as a hero.

"_I want to make a world where everyone can smile and lively happily in peace._" A world with no real villains, a world where peace and prosperity was commonplace, a world where people like All for One weren't a constant threat.

"That distorted form... there it is. That's the last of your strength, isn't it All Might? You have maybe, what, two or three punches left, right? A wounded hero is quite a frightening sight. But even now, I dream of you charging at me with your entrails strewn on the ground." All for One aimed to blast, but a burst of flame made him have to counter attack. All Might and Izuku looked over to see Endeavor arrive with Edgeshot.

"Are you serious? **What the hell is with that weak body?!**" Endeavor yelled at All Might, his flames seeming to radiate his anger. All for One turned to the flaming hero.

"I'm impressed you handled those Nomu so quickly, even if they weren't particularly strong. Just what I expected from the man who clawed his way to the number two spot."

"Damn it, All Might. Everything I did to get ahead of you only made it clearer how large the gap was between us. The more strength you had, the angrier I became... NOW STAND UP AND SHOW THEM WHY YOU'RE BETTER!"

"If you're just here to cheer him on, I'd prefer you to remain silent." All for One aimed his air cannon at Endeavor, ready to fire.

"Think again, madman!" Edgeshot flew around All for One, grabbing his attention and attacks. "We're here to assist!" Izuku watched as Kaumi Woods and Tiger went to work helping the civilians and heroes.

"That's our job as heroes! You did your best, Mt Lady." Kaumi Woods helped the unconsciuos pros to safety as All Might looked on in pride.

"Thank you all. For everything." The pro hero Tiger turned to the Symbol of Peace, holding a few civilians in his arms.

"We can't do much, but if we help even a little, we've fulfilled our duty as heroes. You have to stop this personification of evil, All Might. Pros, civilians, police, they're all praying for your victory. No matter your face and form, you're still the number one hero to them all!"

Gran Torino looked on, and felt someone grab his hand. Turning, he saw Izuku with tears in his eyes and fist clenched. Torino looked back at All Might and remembered how Shimura had told him that Toshinori wanted to become "a pillar of support" for the world.

"_Toshinori, you are a pillar, one that can not be broken. You are the number one hero because of the ideas you inspired in the public. You can hear them, can't you? The entire world is cheering you on to victory, even after all this monster's done to you. Their voices are crying out united for you to win, even your students who admire you boundlessly. They aspire to be like you with their whole hearts, so you must not fail here._"

_**Bakugo Residence, now:**_

"Come on, All Might! Don't let him win! Beat this bastard!" Katsuki yelled at the screen, fists clenched in panic.

"All Might, please! Finish him!" Mitsuki cried out, holding her husband.

"Don't let him beat you, All Might!" Masaru joined in, practically smothered under his wife's grip.

_**Togata Residence, now:**_

Mirio sat in front of the TV as his parents cheered on All Might. He simply remembered how All Might had told him that All for One may be a challenge he'd have to face someday, and how he wasn't ready to face that challenge just yet.

"_All Might, win this. You still have so much to tell me, to teach me! Win! Fight on!_"

_**Midoriya Residence, now:**_

"All Might! Come on, win!"

"_Several heroes have now arrived, and are assisting All Might in the conflict. Civilians and the pros previously attacked are being led to safety. It looks like the heroes are gonna win-_" The camera showed a blast of air blow away the heroes, leaving only All Might and the villain in the immediate area.

_**Kamino Ward, now:**_

"Let's stop dwelling on heroism and start focusing on reality." All for One's right arm began to bulge under his suit jacket, and Izuku shook in terror. This was it, All for One's final move.

"Springlike Limbs, Kinetic Booster times four, Strength Enhancer times three, Multiplier, Hypertrophy, Rivets, Air Walk, Spear-like Bones. The shock waves until now were simply to wear you out. I knew it would take much more than that to kill you." All for One's right arm was now a Frankenstein mess of extra arms, metal spikes, red spiral metal and glowing energy. "In order to put you down for good, I'll punch you with the ultimate combination of quirks I have stored within me. This will end you, hero." All Might got ready to meet the punch, and All for One rushed through the air.

"MIRIO TOGATA! He's your new apprentice that you passed One for All onto. I know your legacy, All Might, and after you die I'll make sure it ends with him! I'll make sure you die full of regrets, All Might, as a hero and a teacher!" As the pair threw their punches and the two forces met, the impact seemed to warp the world around them and dust blew hundreds of feet into the air.

"IMPACT RECOIL!" All for One activated another quirk, and All Might's arm broke and spurted out blood. All Might was forced to use his strength to hold his arm together with his muscles. Izuku looked on and felt something shift in his pocket. He pulled out the vial, holding it tight in his hand.

"_I'll make sure it ends with him!_" All for One's words reverberated in his mind and he gripped the vial tight. Everything All for One had planned was almost about to succeed. If All Might died, Mirio would be next and then One for All would be gone. Nobody would be able to stand up to All for One after that.

"_No. You won't end it there. No matter what, I'm not going to let you win!_" Izuku popped off the lid and downed the serum. The serum burned going down his throat, and he coughed as he looked back to the fight.

"I won't let you end my master's legacy like that." All Might sputtered out, coughing up blood.

"I see. The weak embers of One for All within you are resisting, trying to rekindle some of your former strength. Your last desperate attempt to rage against the inevitable and fulfill your heroic duty. But it won't save you." The blow was forcing the pair of them back, and All Might glared at his enemy.

"_No matter what you have to sacrifice, you need to finish this!_" Young Midoriya's advice rang through his head, and Toshinori had an idea. A painful unorthodox one, but it would work.

"I will beat you, not because I'm a symbol... but because I will do what my master did for me." All Might put some of his strength into his leg, forcing the pair into one spot. "Until I finish Mirio's training, until he's ready, until young Midoriya is finally free from your grip-"

"This much resistance from you is honestly embarrassing." All for One scoffed, and All Might transferred his strength from his right arm to his left.

"I won't- I REFUSE TO DIE!" As All for One's monster arm rushed past, breaking All Might's right arm, he used his left to land a blow across All for One's scarred face. A gust of wind blew over the area as Gran Torino and Izuku saw All Might's arm now purple and bleeding.

"... Clever little tricks like that are more Deku's style. So that's what he told you. But it's still weak!" All for One watched as All Might's arm deflated and he raised his broken one to the air.

"That's because... I DIDN'T PUT MY BACK INTO IT THAT TIME!" In his mind, All Might saw the glowing spark of One for All flowing from one aura to another as his master's words came to him. The form of Nana Shimura stood proud in his mind, giving him even more of a fighting spirit.

"_This power has been passed on from hero to hero, each praying that it will bring joy and peace to humanity. That One for All will give the world hope. And now it is your turn. Do your best, Toshinori._" All Might saw a glowing orb passed to him from his master, and gripping it tight his broken right arm burst into its muscled form. All for One panicked and blasted an air cannon at his enemy, only to see Toshinori duck and an explosion go off behind him. All Might screamed at All for One, and came back up to his level.

"_Good bye… All for One!_" All Might planted his feet, shifted his hips and impacted with his fist right on All for One's face. As he followed through, his blow felt like a raging inferno surging through him as a final burst of strength. He let out a loud yell that anyone else would've called a war cry.

"**_UNITED… STATES OF… SMASH!_**" As he slammed All for One into the ground, the surrounding area instantly became a whirlwind of debris and force. A tornado of rubble rose into the air, broken buildings were picked up like toy blocks from the force of the wind, and several heroes were forced back along with the news chopper. Izuku held onto Gran Torino as the pair tried to find a safe spot of land. In All Might's mind, the raging inferno had died down to a single tiny spark.

"_Goodbye... One for All._" All Might felt the last embers die out, leaving him without his strength. Once the chaos had died down and the dust had settled, there was All might crouched over All for One. The area around them had been completely cleared away and a giant hole was where the impact had landed. The onlookers were hesitant, but a smile formed on everyone's face as All Might slowly raised a fist into the air and buffed it up, the rest of his body following thereafter. Even from where they were, Izuku could just barely hear crowds of people chanting All Might's name.

"He shouldn't push himself like this." Edgeshot looked concerned over his college's state.

"Leave him be. He's still working." Gran Torino snapped back, and looked on at his old apprentice.

"… He needs to do this. He needs them to see him strong." Izuku muttered out, and Gran Torino turned to him.

"And then there's you. I know who you are, Izuku Midoriya. What I don't know is what happened here tonight, or what to do with you now."

"… I'll accept whatever you all think is necessary. I did horrible things… I need to make things right." He teared up a little and Gran Torino led him to outside the rubble, where a police line was waiting for them.

**_Midoriya Residence, earlier:_**

Inko watched as the dust cleared away, showing All Might standing over the villain. The tension in the air was palpable until All Might lifted a single arm to the sky.

"... _ALL MIGHT WINS! The villain's not moving! He's been knocked out! All Might stands victorious!_" The camera showed All Might buffing up his muscled form to the public. Inko could hear a soft chanting from inside her apartment as she burst into tears. He had won, All Might had won against this terrible evil. As she relaxed on the couch with a wave of euphoria coming over her, the phone rang and startled her. She fumbled to answer it, eventually getting it to her face.

"Hello? Katsuki?"

"_I'm afraid not. This is Gran Torino of the Pro Hero Association. I was given your number by an associate in the police force. Mrs Midoriya... we've got your son safe and sound._"

"... where is he?! Is he okay?!"

"_He's fine physically, but for now we're taking him to a high security psychiatric ward. We've still got some answers to get from him about all this._"

"Can I see him, please?!"

"_I'll have to see. For now, just know that your son is safe and sound. And... and that he helped save All Might._" The line disconnected and Inko stood still for a moment before dropping the phone. Tears welled up in her eyes and she began to cry in joy.

"Izuku... my boy. My baby boy."

_**Bakugo Residence, later:**_

"_The heroes are currently working to retrieve civilians from the rubble caused by the villain's attack. They began during All Might's confrontation and have continued searching for survivors. Initial casualty estimates are in the low hundreds, but every moment another survivor is found. We've also received information that the young man who aided All Might is currently in police custody. He is identified as Izuku Midoriya, a sixteen year old boy who for the last eight years or so has been a missing person's case. It is believed that he was working with the villains prior to tonight, but pro hero Gran Torino tells us that's not the full story._" The reporter rambled off, and Katsuki's parents both sighed in relief. They held each other as Katsuki simply watched the screen, all noise just fading away to him.

"... He's safe... he's safe." Bakugo smiled, and slumped back against the couch. Now... now he could start to try and make things right. If he still could.

_**Togata Residence, later:**_

Mirio was watching the news coverage with his parents, still wide awake from the entire ordeal. His mentor had won, All for One was defeated. He watched as the news crew looked over to All Might and the other heroes.

"_The villain is- he's being led into the Maiden! All Might and the other heroes seem to be-_" She was cut off as All Might pointed to the camera with a single finger on his frail arm. Mirio stood still as his family watched on.

"_... You're next._" All Might spoke those two words and Mirio's heart dropped to his stomach until his father grabbed his shoulder and cheered.

"Yeah! That's our All Might! Final warning, bad guys! Ha ha!" Mirio watched on as All Might turned away to the Maiden that All for One was placed in, and his eyes began to water.

"_... Your strength... your power... it's finally gone... and now... it's up to me._" Mirio clenched his fist as the realization washed over him. Now, it was his turn to rise to the title "Symbol of Peace".

* * *

_** (crawls across the ground) I'm dead! Y'all killed me. Writing this chapter in less than six hours so y'all could read it on Christmas killed me. Even still, I hope I did this scene justice because it is my favorite scene. And I'll be taking a bit of a break, just to relax and get back into gear for the rest of the story. So, expect chapter nine in five days, maybe less depending on how fast I recover from holiday madness. Until then, as always, hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading!**_


	9. A Difficult Decision

**_Tartarus High Security Prison, the following day:_**

All for One was surrounded by restraints and medical machinery as All Might came into the room and sat across the foot thick glass wall separating them.

"Where is Tomura Shigaraki?"

"Somewhere safe from you heroes. But that's not exactly what you want to know, is it?" All for One smiled, and All Might took a deep breath.

"...What did you do to Izuku Midoriya?"

"… I made him into a true successor. He came to me as a scared and simplistic child, and I saw in him vast potential. But you're probably referring to what quirks I gave him. The first was Hell Force, his fire quirk. Took him quite a while to master it, but he learned. The other was one I created by accident, a mental quirk that created a dual persona from the bearer's darkest emotions and thoughts: Dark Mind. I gave it to him to mold him into the perfect villain, to make him hate you who he had idolized before. A quirkless child who wanted nothing more than to be like you turning into the new Symbol of Evil… it was far too good an opportunity to pass up." All for One chuckled as All Might struggled to regain his composure.

"Gran Torino saw young Midoriya drink a vial of gold liquid during our fight... What exactly was it?"

"...That?... It was One for All." At this, All Might look horrified. "My scientist and I managed to isolate it from a blood sample of both you and young Mirio. Using the quirk amplification device from Dr Shield, we were able to create a simpler version of it. Unfortunately, we were only able to create a test dose and the one Izuku had before the samples were used up and the device burnt out. The Nomu we tested it on had to be destroyed, of course. It wouldn't do to have a simple creature running about with THAT kind of power."

"… you're lying. You couldn't have-"

"Oh come now, All Might, you know what I'm capable of. I was planning to give it to Deku after you had perished, so he could use your own quirk to attack the very innocent people you try so desperately to save for all these years."

"Why did he attack you? Before you took his quirks from him, he fought against you. If you really had him under a mind altering quirk, why would he do those things?"

"Because Dark Mind amplifies the bearer's darkest emotions and feelings. At that moment, Izuku's thoughts were of betraying me, rage against me and the League, and anger at himself most of all. At that moment, Izuku's thoughts overpowered Deku's persona and he fought back. I knew I had to take his quirks from him or he would've continued to fight against me." All for One rambled on, and All Might took this all in before walking out, leaving All for One in his cell. All Might met up with Gran Torino.

"Toshinori. What now?" the elder hero looked up at his former apprentice. All Might leaned against the wall, and sighed deeply.

"Do you know where they have young Midoriya?"

"He's in a high security mental hospital. A few pros are already there. Why?"

"I want to talk to the rest of my colleges about him. After I speak to him myself."

"You sure that's a good idea?"

"Maybe, maybe not. But I have to be certain of the situation. I need to know exactly what that boy went through."

**_High Security Psychiatric Facility, the following morning:_**

Izuku had gotten maybe fours hours of sleep before a nightmare had woken him up. He had seen All Might dead in his battle, but it was Deku who had killed him. After jolting awake, he rushed to the mirror on his wall to see his eyes were still green. Catching his breath, he laid back down on the bed, simply staring at the ceiling. The last twenty four hours had been hectic for him, but now he was at least in some comfort. The hospital clothes with their slightly baggy fit put him at ease, but he kept rubbing his neck where the quirk nullification collar was.

"Things are only going to get worse from here, aren't they?" he pondered as he lay in bed, watching the fan go around in circles. The door opened up and Izuku sat up to see a young adult woman with a white coat and short brown hair walk in.

"Izuku? My name is Haruhi Suoh, I'm the doctor assigned to your case for the moment. How are you feeling?"

"... I don't really know. Scared, I guess."

"Well, given what you experienced last night, I'd say it's okay to be scared. Now, I'd like you to relax for me. My quirk lets me create mental connections with people. I'm going to look inside your memories and then describe what I saw to the heroes. Alright?" Izuku nodded and Dr Suoh placed her hands on Izuku's temples.

**Dr. Haruhi Suoh, hero name: Pyscher. Quirk: Mind Meld. She can create a shared mental state with anyone she's in physical contact with. She can also store the memories of anyone she creates a link with and can recall them instantly to anyone. The more people in the shared state, the more strenuous it is for her to maintain.**

The world around the two faded away and Izuku saw gray mist cover everything. Pockets of light were floating around them, and he looked closer. In them he saw his old memories, some crystal clear but others shrouded in black smoke. One of them became bigger and took over the space, and Izuku saw All Might.

"_I AM HERE!_" He was four, watching the video of All Might's massive rescue mission, when he became known to the world. The scene shifted, and he saw a male bald doctor.

"_You should probably give it up._" The doctor was explaining to him that he was quirkless. The scene shifted to Bakugo in front of him, smiling.

"_Stupid Deku._" He was seven, and had just gotten beaten up by Katsuki for the last time. He saw Tomura appear in the image, and it shifted to show All for One.

"_However, I'm afraid I have other plans for you._" He was holding the villain's hand and saw black smoke float across the image. Red pulsing flashes were going on as well, and when they stopped, the smoke remained and a voice spoke to All for One.

"_Call me Deku._" The scene shifted again but the black smoke remained. Deku was sparring with a member of All for One's army before his battle with All Might crippled his body. The scene shifted slightly, each time showing a different opponent. Black smoke covered the entire area and Izuku saw Deku fighting him. With every blow there was a single word.

"_Weak. Powerless. Stupid. Little. Midoriya!_" The scene shifted, and the black smoke covered the image of All for One in a hospital bed, handing Deku a knife.

"_You are my hidden blade._" The scene shifted to U.A. where he was looking at student information, planting the device and aiding with data analysis. The scene shifted and Bakugo was in front of him with the black smoke turning slightly red.

"_Deku?_" a burst of fire changed the scene and Izuku saw his mother in front of him, the black smoke getting a bit thinner.

"_**Go back! Please, go back!**_" Izuku heard his voice cry out, and he teared up a bit. The scene shifted and Stain was in front of him.

"_Hero is a title for those who accomplished great deeds!_" The scene shifted to Deku meeting the rest of the League. Dabi, Toga, Spinner, Magno, Compress, Twice and others. The scene shifted to talking with them, training with some of them, going into the forest, and then to Muscular's face before a burst of fire flew across it.

"_... why did you save me?! Aren't you a villain?_" Izuku heard the boy's voice call out, and he could see the black smoke slightly shrink before going back. The scene shifted to him fighting Bakugo in the forest, and the smoke fell away completely.

"_...Kacchan, please... save me._" The scene shifted again to show All for One facing All Might and Tomura across from him. The black smoke faded away completely and fire spread across Tomura. Izuku was fighting All for One, blasting him with fire.

"_I'M NOT GOING TO BE THE VILLAIN ANYMORE!_" he felt pride at this moment, and the scene shifted to All Might's final blow.

"_**UNITED... STATES OF... SMASH!**_" The image faded into gray mist, and the room came back into focus around him. Dr. Suoh sat across from him, staring blankly at him, with tears in her eyes. She wiped them away and regained her composure.

"... Dear... lord... I- I am..." She held her head in her hands for a moment and looked back at him.

"... Will you tell the heroes everything I know? I learned so much about the League, their quirks, their fighting styles-" he was cut off as the woman gave him a big hug. He returned it slowly, and began to cry. Everything he had just seen finally hit him full force. The years away from his family and his home, the friends he never got to make, the cruel villain he had been turned into by force, the way he was constantly reminded by the darkest part of his mind that he was weak. He just started crying, gripping Dr Suoh tight and sobbing into her coat. After a good while, he broke off the hug and wiped his eyes.

"... The things he-... I did... I hated them. I never wanted to do them... but I wasn't strong enough... I chose to become that-" Izuku began to tear up again, and he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"No, no Izuku, you were tricked. That man, that symbol of evil, HE did this to you. He put Dark Mind in you, he manipulated you into taking his hand. Yes, you went through the portal. But you were a kid. An impulsive, scared, and stupid kid. You made a mistake, but he made you a villain." Izuku stared into Dr Suoh's eyes and felt slightly better about his situation.

"Dr... what's going to happen to me?"

"... I don't know. But I'll let the pros know everything. You should try to get some rest." The doctor got up and walked to the door. Once she exited, she saw a man walking towards her.

"Dr Suoh! Glad I found you. Is he in there?" She now recognized the man as All Might, with his almost skeletal form and arm in a cast and sling.

"Oh, All Might! Yeah, this is Midoriya's room. Why exactly are you looking for him?"

"... I'd like to hear what he went through. And to talk to him myself."

"... Hold still." Dr Souh put her hands on All Might's temples and showed him Midoriya's memories as fast as she could. After, All Might stood still before going over to the opposing wall and punching it with his still functioning hand. With each punch, he let out a strangled word.

"That! Utter! Vile! Manipulative! MONSTER!" With his final blow, his arm buffed up and cracked the wall slightly before returning to normal. All Might fell to his knees and clenched his fist in anger. "That man did all that to him... just to make a point... Just to attack me..." He tensed up, and Haruhi put her hand on his shoulder.

"All... Toshinori. I understand your anger. Believe me, if I were in your shoes, I'd break through Tartarus and end All for One... but right now, that young man is scared. For his future, because of the past that monster made him go through. You once told me that a hero not only saves a person's life, but their heart as well. So, be a hero, and save his heart." She smiled at him, and All Might took a moment before getting to his feet and walking up to the door. Hesitantly, he opened it up to see Izuku look over at him.

"... All Might?! What are-"

"I'm here to talk to you, young Midoriya." All Might pulled a chair up and sat next to Izuku's bed.

"Are you okay? Your arm looks pretty bad. Is All for One locked up tightly? He might try to get out-" Izuku was cut off by All Might putting his hand on Izuku's shoulder.

"Young man... what you went through, what that monster did to you... nobody should ever have to live with something like that. Especially not someone your age."

"... even Tomura?" At this, All Might stiffened.

"True, you and Tomura are similar. You both were used by All for One to become the new leaders of villains around the world, both robbed of a normal childhood. But you were forced into that life. Tomura chose it, and still walks it."

"All Might... I don't know what I'm going to do. About all this."

"Well, what do you want to do?" Izuku simply sat in the bed and looked at his hands.

"... I want to make things right. I want to try and make amends with everyone I've hurt. I want to prove I'm not what he made me. I want to be someone that people can be proud of. I want to be..." Izuku sat still and thought for a moment. "I want to be someone like you. Someone who strives to create a peaceful world for the people in it. Someone who shows them that villains aren't always going to be a problem." Izuku relaxed in the bed and All Might simply looked at him.

"... You want to be a hero, right?" All Might watched as Izuku simply turned away.

"I did once, but... I don't think I can be now." He rolled over and pulled the blanket up. All Might simply walked over to the other side and looked Izuku in the face.

"If that's true, why did you drink the One for All serum?"

"... When he said he was going to kill Mirio after you, that your quirk and legacy would end there... I couldn't let him. I acted on impulse, I guess. No, not impulse, spite... I didn't want him to win... I couldn't let him win." Izuku gripped the blanket and All Might put his hand on Izuku's shoulder.

"Young man... what you did during the battle, what you said to me when Tomura's true identity was revealed to me... as far as I'm concerned, you helped save me. To me, you're already a hero." At this, Izuku started to tear up, and All Might gave him a big hug. Izuku returned it, amazed at what he just heard. All Might, the greatest hero he looked up to, just told him that he was a hero. As the two pulled apart, Izuku wiped his eyes and smiled at All Might.

"Thank you, sir." Izuku laid back down and All Might nodded to him as he headed out the door. As he exited, he saw Midnight coming up to him.

"Toshinori, we've been looking for you. Dr Suoh is about to give her briefing to the Hero Association and police department in the conference room."

"Right, I'm coming. Oh, actually, could you do something for me?" All Might motioned to the door, and Midnight looked a bit confused. "He's been through a lot, and I wanna make sure he gets a good rest. Do you think you cou-"

"Don't worry about it." Midnight walked past and into Izuku's room. He sat up to greet her, but she just held up her hand. "All Might tells me you've been through a lot. You mind if I help you get some rest?"

"Uh, sure." Izuku muttered out, and Midnight tore her suit near her gloves to let her quirk take effect. Izuku quickly fell asleep, and Midnight tucked him in a little.

"Sleep tight." She walked out and went with All Might to the meeting.

_**Midoriya Residence, now:**_

Inko was still inside her apartment, watching the street to see if the horde of reporters had left yet. Since the fight between All Might and the villain, she had someone knock on her door at least once an hour before the landlord finally told them to wait outside the property. For now she had some peace and quiet, but she also needed to go get some groceries.

_KNOCK KNOCK_

"Inko, it's me, Mitsuki. You home?" Inko rushed to the door, and opening it quickly, dragged Mitsuki inside.

"Alright, you're definitely not doing well." Mitsuki muttered as she rubbed her wrist and sat on the couch. "Have you heard anything? Has anybody from the police or heroes called about Izuku?"

"Not recently. About two hours ago, they told me that he was being held in a mental institution, but he was doing well."

"Are they letting you see him? I mean, after all this time, don't you deserve to?!" Mitsuki was getting riled up and Inko grabbed her hand.

"They said until they're sure he's not a danger to anyone else or himself they'll keep him under observation. I won't lie, I want to see him more than anything. But I understand where they're coming from."

"... Inko, what'll you do if he comes home?"

"... I'm not sure. I have half a mind to move just to avoid all the craziness with the media."

"Speaking of which, those people are just vultures. I had to shove past them to get to your front door."

"Sorry about that. Ugh, and on top of it, I have to get groceries today." Inko let out a whimper and Mitsuki rubbed her on the shoulder.

"I can go for you if you want."

"Oh, thank you for the offer, but I don't want to trouble you with it. I think I should probably face this already." Inko sat up and Mitsuki got off the couch.

"Let's both face it. Come on, I'll go with you."

"Thank you, Mitsuki. I don't know what I'd do without you." As the pair walked out of the apartment and down to the street, the reporters came flooding over.

"Mrs Midoriya, any comment about your son?"

"What happened to him all those years ago?"

"Did you have any contact with him during his time as a villain?"

"Why was he fighting alongside All Might if he was working for the League?"

"WILL YOU LET HER TALK?!" Mitsuki barked out, and the reporters all went quiet. Inko took a deep breath and looked at the media.

"I last saw my son in person more than eight years ago. And then I heard he was a villain from the USJ attack. And last night I saw him fighting against a super villain side by side with the man that he idolized when he was a child. Right now, I'm not sure what to think. But all I know is I want him to come home so I can see him again." And with that, she and Mitsuki made her way past the reporters and continued to the store.

"Well, that went better than I thought it would." Mitsuki smiled as the pair entered the store. As they picked out the items Inko needed, a woman came up to the two of them.

"Inko! I thought that was you. I saw the news last night, you must be so proud. The way Izuku stood up to that... monster was incredible! And he helped save All Might!... I hope he comes home soon. You deserve to see him again."

"... Thank you." Inko smiled and the woman walked off, leaving her and Mitsuki to look at each other in amazement.

_**High Security Psychiatric Hospital Conference Room, now:**_

The heroes and police had just come out of the shared mental state created by Dr Suoh, after seeing all of Izuku's memories. They all just sat in silence, completely overwhelmed by what they just saw.

"... I... HOLY HELL!" Midnight held her head in her hands and the most of them slumped back in their seats. Nezu was the first to break the tension in the room.

"So... what do we do now?"

"I say we let the boy go home. After all that, he deserves to just walk away from it all." Gran Torino scratched his beard while giving his opinion.

"So, we don't press charges against him? He was a villain! He was in the League!" Gang Orca interjected, and Thirteen spoke up.

"No, he was FORCED into the League. He was manipulated by All for One at every possible moment."

"True, he was a puppet, but he still met with All for One." Ectoplasm addressed the others.

"He was a child, one who was getting beat up almost every day by the person he considered to be his best friend years before. I'm genuinely surprised he didn't **willingly** join up with them." Midnight added in.

"So, because he made a stupid mistake as a child, that forgives him of everything he's done now?" Eraser Head spoke up.

"That "stupid mistake" as you put it ended up costing him half of his life and most of his childhood while he became the one thing he never wanted to become." Cementoss added in.

"There's also the fact that while under control of that "Dark Mind" quirk, he fought against the League's leader and tried to save All Might. That's what we saw at Kamino Ward, that's what the public saw on the news. That has to say something about the boy's character." Tiger added in.

"And if he's still under the influence of this "Dark Mind"? What if he becomes a threat later on?" Kaumi Woods blurted out, and Dr Suoh addressed the entire room.

"In my professional opinion, Izuku Midoriya is no longer a threat to hero society. He'll need some time to fully recover from what he experienced, but for the moment, all that boy wants to do is make things right." After hearing this, Nezu looked over to Detective Tsukauchi.

"Tsukauchi, what's the department's stance on this?"

"... Given what's just come to light, as well as his aiding All Might, and all the information we've been able to collect about the League... I'd say we'd be willing to put him under surveillance, as well as mandatory psychiatric evaluations. With his age and how he was coerced into being a member of the League, I'd say he was acting under extreme duress."

"So, we assign a few heroes to watch him in turns, and have Dr Suoh check on his mental state regularly. Sounds good to me." Present Mic chimed in, and All Might simply looked down at his arm.

"There's a issue... he has One for All. Which means now he'll be a target for the League, and for All for One." At this, everyone went quiet for a moment before Nezu spoke up.

"We could always relocate him. Maybe we could have him move internationally."

"Given what we know about All for One, I doubt that man will stop looking for him. And neither will the League if they consider him a big enough threat." Eraser Head added in, and Midnight turned to him.

"So, what? We use him as bait to lure the League out?" The room fell silent again as everyone pondered what to do. All Might thought for a minute and then pulled out his phone. Scrolling through his contacts, he hesitated before pressing call.

"_Nighteye Hero Agency. How can I help you?_"

"This is Toshinori Yagi... I'd like to speak with him about someone."

_**Outside Izuku's room, several minutes later:**_

All Might stood opposite Izuku's door when he saw two figures walking towards him. One was young Mirio in his Lemillion outfit, and the other was a tall skinny man in a white suit and glasses. All Might stood up straight as the pair approached and held out his hand slowly.

"Nice to see you again, Sasaki." All Might smiled, and the man simply fixed his glasses. "Ah, young Mirio, how are you doing?"

"... I'm doing okay. But All Might, is One fo-" Mirio was cut off by a raised hand from Nighteye.

"This is not the time nor place to talk about that. Wait until you two are alone to have that discussion." Nighteye turned back to All Might. "So, he's in here? The young man who turned against the League and helped you?"

"Yes. I'd like to see what you can see in his future. We're all a bit unsure of what to do with him."

"... Very well." Nighteye entered the room and saw Izuku fast asleep. Walking over to him, he placed his hand on Izuku's shoulder and activated his quirk. After a few moments, Nighteye stopped using his quirk and walked back to the two, closing the door behind him. He stared at All Might with a look of sadness, and then regained his composure.

"Let's discuss this with the rest of them."

_**Conference Room:**_

Nighteye walked in with his intern and former mentor and took an empty seat.

"That young man... will become a hero. One that will replace All Might one day." At this, everyone in the room started looking at each other and talking at once.

"Hold on, you're saying we should train him to be a hero? How? We just put him in U.A.?!" Gang Orca shouted out.

"I doubt anyone's looking to immediately train this young man with other people. Nighteye, what exactly did you see?" Nezu continued to drink his tea as Nighteye explained.

"A long and difficult road, full of struggle and pain. It won't be easy for him, and he'll face many challenges, but that boy eventually will become a new Symbol of Peace."

"I thought Mirio was being trained to take over for All Might. Isn't that why he has One for All, the real version?" Present Mic asked, looking at the young hero and then to Nighteye, who simply put his hands together.

"... I'm not entirely certain of what happens to Mirio, but I saw Midoriya becoming a hero."

"I'm sorry, is all we're going off your Foresight? How accurate is it, anyway?"

"I'm never had evidence to suggest that Foresight is incorrect. It's always turned out to be reliable."

"But you're still asking us to take your word for it." Nezu interjected, and Nighteye pondered for a moment.

"... All Might." Nighteye turned to his old mentor, who looked him in the eyes. "What I told you all those years ago, after your first encounter with All for One... he saw it as well." All Might stiffened and stared in horror at Nighteye, who simply looked down at the table. All Might then stood and turned to everyone else.

"... I know that most of you believe that young man doesn't deserve your trust... But I trust him. When that young man was facing down All for One, in that moment... that was who he is. He told me he wants to make amends and repair the damage he's caused. So I'll let him do just that... as a hero." Everyone else in the room pondered for a moment before Nezu spoke up.

"And how do you propose we let him do that? In what way can we teach him?"

"I could do it, as well as training Mirio. It's not like I got anything else to do these days." Gran Torino offered, and the rest of them all looked at each other.

"Training with Mirio could also help Izuku get a good grip with One for All. And with two users of it, the League is going to have a more difficult time." All Might looked over at the young man. "Mirio, what're your thoughts?"

"... I trust your judgement, All Might. As well as Sir's. I'd be willing to help train Midoriya. The League of Villains won't stand a chance against two of us!" Mirio smiled, and the atmosphere got more hopeful.

"So, Midoriya will be taught how to use One for All privately until he's ready to publicly come forth as a hero in training. Gran Torino will aid in his training as well as his standard studies. Izuku will also be relocated along with his mother to a secure safe house for their protection. Dr Suoh will be keeping progress of his mental state and aid in his rehabilitation. Is anyone opposed to this idea?" Nezu addressed the rest of them and everyone simply looked around. When nobody spoke up against the proposal, Nezu picked up his tea.

"There's still the statement we need to give to the press. For now, let's leave young Midoriya's training out of it. When he's ready, we'll have him become a more official hero in training." Nezu finished his tea and turned to Midnight. "Ms Kayama, speak to the staff about Midoriya's release into Gran Torino's custody."

_**Midoriya Residence, later:**_

Inko had just finished up dinner and put her dishes into the dishwasher. Sighing to herself, she went to the living room and switched on the TV to the news. Several pro heroes were sitting in front of a table, along with a young woman in a lab coat and a police man.

**Reporter 1:** "_What can you tell us of the incident last night?_" Eraser Head leaned forward and looked over the media.

"_The individual who fought All Might is a man calling himself All for One. He has the ability to steal and transfer quirks from other people to himself and vice versa. He was the mastermind behind the League of Villains well before the attack on the U.S.J. months ago. At the moment, we have him under the highest security in Tartarus prison._"

**Reporter 2:** "_What can you tell us about the young man involved? How does Izuku Midoriya fit into all this?_" Midnight tapped her mic and addressed the crowd.

"_Izuku Midoriya was under mind control by All for One due to a quirk implanted in him by All for One. For the past eight years or so, he has been an unwilling member of the League._"

**Reporter 3:** "_How exactly was he controlled?_" Nezu pulled his mic closer to him.

"_A quirk called Dark Mind created a dual persona in Midoriya's mind. This persona took control of Midoriya and became the villain known as Deku. At the Kamino Ward incident, Midoriya fought against Deku's control and managed to overpower him, aiding All Might and attacking All for One."_

**Reporter 4:**_ "What's going to happen to Midoriya now?_" Tsukauchi addressed the room.

"_Given his age, his circumstances, as well as his actions during the Kamino Ward incident, and all the information we've gathered on the League thanks to him, for now we're letting him out of the facility he was in and putting him under hero supervision at all times and mandatory psychiatric evaluations. For now, Izuku Midoriya is being taken to a location where he can be rehabilitated in peace."_

**Reporter 2:**_ "So, no charges are being pressed against him? Wasn't this young man a villain, dual persona or not?_" The woman in the white coat knit her fingers together and leaned forward into the mic.

"_... Imagine for eight years your darkest thoughts not only manifested themselves as an actual person in your head, but constantly beat you into the very edges of your mind just to remind you that you were weaker. Imagine only being able to watch inside your own mind as someone wearing your face did things that you found horrifying. That is what Izuku Midoriya went through. And given that, the police department has agreed to not press charges in order for him to fully recover from this traumatic experience._"

**Reporter 1:** "_All Might, what about you? What are your thoughts on all this?_" All Might learned forward and spoke to the media.

"_When I was frozen in shock, young Midoriya brought me back to the fight. He helped me regain my resolve to fight, and because of that I consider the young man worthy of getting a second chance at a new life. As for myself, I'm announcing my retirement. That fight took a lot out of me, and I'd rather go out of the game on a high note. While I recover from my injuries, I'll still be teaching at U.A. High School._"

**Reporter 3:** "_Is anything being done to help assure the students and families of their safety?_" Nezu leaned into his mic.

"_We'll be implementing a new dorm living situation-_"

_KNOCK KNOCK_

"Coming." Inko got up, turning off the TV and walking over to the door. She opened it to see an elderly gentleman in a white and yellow costume. She recognized him from the Kamino fight. "Oh, sir. It's nice to meet you. Gran Torino, right?"

"Yep. Mrs Midoriya, I'm here to help you out with this situation."

"What sit-" she stopped as she saw Izuku turn the corner and walk towards her in a simple shirt and shorts, carrying a black shoulder bag. With each step, Inko saw his eyes water a little more. He stood in front of her and smiled, tearing up as much as she was.

"Hi mom. I'm home." He muttered out, before Inko wrapped her arms around him and pulled him tight to her. They both held each other and began crying, with Gran Torino simply watching with a small smile on his face.

"My boy. My baby boy." Inko gripped him tight and he returned the gesture. Izuku could feel his mom shaking lightly, and rubbed her shoulders.

"I'm so sorry. For everything I put you through. But I promise you... I'll make things right. Whatever it takes."

* * *

_**Hey guys, author here! Hope you enjoyed that one! I gotta admit, I cried when writing that last part. From this point forward, I'll be doing a combination of both the show/manga and my own ideas. So, if something seems like it's not in the canon timeline from this point on, that's why. And for those wondering, yes, I will put a spoiler warning on any chapter that'll have them. Until next time, hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading.**_


	10. Training, Therapy, Treachery

**_League of Villains hideout, earlier:_**

Tomura was sitting on a pile of crates, fiddling with his fingers. The rest of the League was simply standing around, listening to the radio they had managed to salvage from a dumpster.

"- _for now we're letting him out of the facility he was in and putting him under hero supervision at all times and mandatory psychiatric evaluations. For now, Izuku Midoriya is being taken to a location where he can be rehabilitated in peace._" Spinner turned off the radio and laid down on the concrete floor.

"So, Deku's not coming back, huh?" Toga pouted, playing with the ends of her sweater.

"You could've told us what he was, a little experiment. Maybe then we could've stopped All Might from capturing All for One." Dabi shot short bursts of fire into the air as he griped at Tomura.

"Now what'll we do? All for One's gone and Kurogiri is off who knows where doing a personal errand! So, Tomura, what's our plan?" Magne looked at Tomura, who simply stood still for a moment before speaking.

"... We find a way to strike a blow to the heroes. We find a way to crush the public's hope in them." He pulled the hand off of his face, and held it up.

"_You are my hand, the one who will guide the League to glory._" His master's words echoed in his mind, and he gripped the hand tight. His master had laid out a path for Tomura to follow, one in All for One's footsteps. He would be trapped in his master's shadow, unless he forged a new path for himself. He gripped tighter and tighter until he shattered it into pieces. He looked at the rest of the League, who all took in Tomura's horrifying smiling face.

"Master isn't here anymore. So now I'll be the one to be the Symbol of Evil. Now matter what it takes, how long we have to wait, who we have to destroy... We'll bring down the age of heroes. And as for Izuku... we'll kill him when we get the first chance."

**_New Midoriya Residence, hours later:_**

"This place is amazing, Izuku!" Inko walked around their new safe-house, taking in all the features of the place. It was certainly spacious, with a nice yard, three bedrooms, two baths, an office space, and the entire basement was a training area. The movers had all unloaded their items from the truck about a half hour ago, and Izuku helped his mother and Gran Torino unpack everything.

"Remember kid, tomorrow we begin your training. In two days, you'll meet with Dr Suoh for your first session. Mirio will drop by when he can, but don't expect that to be too often. Your probationary period will be three months, two depending Suoh's eval of you. Understand?"

"Yes, sir." Izuku huffed out as he lifted a few boxes to place into his room. He spent the next few hours unpacking all his personal things. Clothes that had been provided by the pros, books found by his mother at a small store, dumbbells given to him by Gran Torino. The only items he wanted to keep from his old room were a few posters of All Might and a few things he had been given when he was a kid. As he finished, he looked around the room. It was new and alien to him, but in time it would be his own. He rubbed his neck where the surveillance collar was. It looked like a simple black choker, but it was lined with electronics that kept monitoring his vitals, position, and whether or not he was using his quirk.

He looked out his bedroom window, and off in the distance he could see U.A. High School. The heroes had chosen this place due to its proximity to the school, and thus several more pros to call in for backup should the need arise. Izuku simply stared, and imagined what he would say to everyone there who he had hurt during his time with the League. He walked down to the kitchen and helped his mother prepare dinner for the three of them. Outside, Kaumi Woods watched from a rooftop and spoke into a walkie talkie.

"Kaumi Woods reporting in. All quiet at the Midoriya's place. Standing by for instructions."

"_Acknowledged, Kaumi. We're sending someone to relieve you momentarily. Stand by until then._" The Hero Association's contact clarified, and Kaumi simply stood on the rooftop waiting for the next pro to take his spot.

**_Dr Suoh's Office, U.A. High School, the next day:_**

Bakugo walked in and slumped down on the couch. Dr Suoh adjusted her glasses and looked at him.

"So, what did you want to discuss today?"

"... Do you know where he is?" Bakugo stared at the ground, and Dr Suoh simply stood still. "I found out he was released, and I went to go talk to auntie Inko, but... she was already gone. I just... I wanted to..." Bakugo knit his fingers together and sat in silence.

"You want to make amends, I know. But for the moment, Izuku needs to try and recover from everything. When he's ready, he'll come find you."

"I need him to know that I'm sorry. For everything." The two of them simply sat and talked until Bakugo got a text.

"_Study group at dorms. You in?__" - Kirishima_. Bakugo smirked and send a reply before getting up. Dr Suoh closed her notebook and saw him leave with a smile on his face.

_**Midoriya Residence, the following day:**_

Izuku was currently training against several practice dummies. Gran Torino watched as Izuku made his way through each of his inanimate opponents, finally getting all of them down. Gran Torino clicked his stopwatch and looked at the time.

"Two minutes and fifteen seconds. You're using One for All more effectively than Mirio did that this stage."

"I had a bit of time to tail him during my time with the League. One for All is a state of raw power, and if concentrated into one spot, can be overwhelmingly harmful. That's why he broke his arm when he first used it." Izuku stretched his limbs and grabbed a water bottle, drinking it down. "The distribution issue came to me during my surveillance of him. That's how I came up with the Full Cowling concept. Of course, doesn't mean I'm perfect with it yet."

"I agree. Your style is still stuck in your old methods. You keep attacking like you still have that fire quirk instead of One for All. You need to think outside what you trained for, or your battle reflexes are gonna get you in serious trouble one of these days." Gran Torino reset the stopwatch and walked to the basement stairs. "Anyway, Dr Suoh will be here soon. Get cleaned up and head to the office when you're ready. We'll continue training tomorrow, and your school work after Suoh leaves."

"Alright." Izuku grabbed a towel and wiped off the sweat from his face. He went upstairs to rinse himself off and change into simple clothes for the rest of the day. He walked into the office area which doubled as Gran Torino's classroom for him. He waited for a few minutes before Dr Suoh walked in.

"Afternoon, Izuku. How are you feeling today?"

"Good, bit worn out." Izuku rubbed his shoulder, which was still sore from Gran Torino slamming into him earlier in their sparring session.

"Well, let's get started, shall we?" She placed her hands on Izuku's temples and activated her quirk. She looked into his most recent memories, seeing his training and lessons as well as time with his mother. One memory in particular stood out, a nightmare he'd had the night before.

_The ground was littered with rubble and dust was floating everywhere. Several people were laying on the ground, blood spilling out. Some were pro heroes, some were villains, some were students from U.A. On top of a pile of debris, Izuku was on his knees in front of All for One. Deku stood by the villain's side with his knife dripping red._

_"This is what you are. Now and forever." All for One spoke to Izuku before Deku slashed at him, and the nightmare ended_. Dr Suoh stopped using her quirk, and Izuku simply sat in silence for a moment.

"After it ended, I woke up, and I didn't know where I was. It was like I had been taken somewhere... He's always in my dreams, the other me. He's either the whole dream or just off in the background, waiting for me. I know he's gone, that he was taken with Dark Mind... but he's still there."

"Dark Mind formed Deku out of your worst thoughts and emotions. He may not be a split persona anymore, but he's there in those thoughts. But those thoughts aren't what define you. You are what you choose to be, Izuku. And you're making good progress."

"But... what if I become him again? What if..." Izuku's words simply stopped and he sat back in silence.

"Izuku, if you didn't think THAT, if your first thought of becoming Deku again wasn't "please don't let that happen", THAT would be a problem. Your dark thoughts only have control over you if you let them." Dr Suoh put down her notepad and reached into her bag, pulling out a notebook and handed it to Izuku. "This is for you, it's a journal. Everyday, I want you write in it. About your training, your thoughts, your goals, something as long as you write every day. It'll help you get perspective on all this." Izuku took the journal and he looked her in the eye.

"Do you think I'm worthy of all this? Being trained to be a hero, a second chance?"

"Yes, I genuinely think you are. Given what I've seen, not only of your thoughts and memories, but your actions... I think you deserve a second chance. And your skills and knowledge will help make you an excellent hero. Just remember why you strive to become a hero, why you want to follow this path. Do that, and you'll be fine." Dr Suoh gave him a soft hug, and the two continued talking for a half hour before Gran Torino came in carrying a large binder.

"Alright Suoh, time's up. You should be heading back to the school before too long." The doctor got up and shook Izuku's hand and walked out, allowing Gran Torino to hop onto the chair. "Alright, time for your school work." The old pro and the young man went through the lessons U.A. had prepared for him to get him caught up with students at his grade level. After three and a half hours, Inko called them both to the kitchen for dinner.

_**League of Villains Hideout, a few days later:**_

A warp gate opened up in the warehouse and Kurogiri stepped through. Tomura walked up to him.

"Well, did you find what you were looking for?" The young man asked, and Kurogiri looked a bit unnerved at Tomura's new appearance. Without his hand, Tomura's cracked and pale face were utterly horrifying.

"The power master spoke of eluded my search, unfortunately. I was forced to return when several pros almost found me. However, I did manage to recover something from the rubble in Kamino Ward cleanup." Kurogiri reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife. It was a black blade with a gray and red handle with an etching of a blood drop on the base of the blade. It was Deku's knife, the one he had lost when he was overtaken by Izuku. Tomura held the blade with three fingers and turned it over and over. He grinned and walked over to Toga, handing her the blade. Her eyes went wide with excitement.

"I get to keep it?!" She squealed with delight and Tomura held the tip out near her face.

"Only if you use it on Izuku when you get the chance." He smiled widely and Toga took the blade gleefully, running it's smooth side over her cheek. Kurogiri stepped forward and put his hand on Tomura's shoulder.

"Tomura, there is the possibility of us using All for One's backup facility until our numbers increase-"

"No. We need to recruit more people, and I won't risk losing another safe house until we've got a loyal army at our backs. Besides, I think the good doctor could use some privacy to work on more Nomu for us." Tomura sat down on the worn out couch they had found, and Kurogiri nodded his head. Tomura was starting to think for himself, and now he was almost ready to become what his master was.

_**U.A. High School Conference Room, a few weeks later:**_

Nezu sat down at the head of the table and sipped his tea slowly. The other teachers, Gran Torino and Dr Suoh all looked over their notes before the principal spoke up.

"So, how are the students doing with their new living situation?"

"They've all adjusted very well, I'd say. Not only are they more social with each other now, but their grades are improving due to the study groups they're having." Eraser Head spoke up, looking over his notes.

"There's been some minor disputes about chores, but that's not a real concern." Vlad King pointed out, and All Might looked at his notes.

"Given their performances in their final exams as well as their current training, I'd say they're all ready for the provisional license exam. They've certainly proven themselves capable against opponents." All Might smiled at the rest of the room and Nezu turned towards Gran Torino.

"And what of our other student?" The principal sipped his tea, and the old pro sat up straight.

"He's progressing quite well, both in training and in his schooling. His skills are impressive for someone his age, but given how he was trained by All for One, I'm not surprised about his fighting techniques. He's adapting to his lesser version of One for All at a good pace for someone his size, and his lessons are progressing quite well." He handed his notes to Midnight, and Dr Suoh spoke up.

"He's also doing better with his rehabilitation. He's constantly doing his best to make sure that he doesn't become Deku again. He's horrified at the idea of going back to that state of mind. He has an incredible determination to prove himself, to all of us and to himself. I do sometimes worry he's trying too hard, but from everything I've seen he's doing well. Spending time with his mother is certainly helping, having that connection remade has helped him gain a sense of purpose." She looked across the room, and saw everyone was in agreement. Midnight handed the folder back to Gran Torino.

"Well, given his scores on the assignments we've given him, he'd rank somewhere in the top ten I believe. He's certainly smart, I'll give him that." Nezu turned to Dr Suoh.

"So, what's your verdict on him?" Both Gran Torino and Dr Suoh shared a glance before turning to the others.

"The boy's proven himself capable, I'll give him that." Torino replied, and Dr Suoh addressed the room.

"Izuku's progress is amazing, especially for someone of his age. In my opinion, I think he might be ready to be given a bit more freedom."

"Very well then. All those in favor of ending Midoriya's probationary period a month early?" Everyone raised their hand, and Nezu sipped more of his tea.

"It seems we are agreed. The monitoring device will be removed in two weeks, and Izuku will be given more leeway with his movements. Also, we should consider the possibility of him joining the rest of the school at some point."

"I'm not sure that's a great idea at this point. I'm all for letting him become more of an official hero in training, but let's wait a bit before merging him into the rest of the students." Midnight spoke up, and Dr Suoh raised her hand.

"While I do believe that Izuku is making good progress, I don't think he's ready to be merged into U.A. quite yet. There're still a number of people here he's hurt during his time as a villain. Perhaps a one-on-one approach with the other students would help. Maybe he could join after the winter break, if he's able to keep up with his current pace in his training and studies." At this, everyone muttered in agreement.

"Very well. For now, Izuku Midoriya will continue his current regimen and when you feel it is appropriate Dr Suoh, we will have him officially join the rest of the school." Everyone nodded in agreement, and they all went their separate ways. Nezu walked up to Gran Torino.

"Do you think he'll be ready to face the League when the time comes?"

"I do. That boy is determined to right his wrongs. If that means taking down the League, he won't hesitate to do just that. Anyway, I've got to get going. I'm having him training in the park next to the house. Figured some fresh air and change of scenery would be a way to shift up his mood."

"Very well. Best of luck to you, Torino." Nezu waved goodbye to him and walked to his office. All Might came up to his old mentor.

"Do you think that he'll be able to handle coming here eventually?"

"Possibly. I just teach and train the boy, Dr Suoh is more qualified to talk about his mind. If she thinks he's not ready, that's that."

"Perhaps I could visit him some time, give him a bit of a pep talk." All Might smiled, making Gran Torino smirk slightly.

"That could work. Anyway, I need to get going or I'll be late. Se you around, Toshinori." All Might waved goodbye as his old mentor walked off.

_**Nature Park near U.A. High, an hour and a half later:**_

"Keep it up, kid. You need to be more in tune with your power if you're going to master it." Gran Torino kept bouncing around from tree to tree and Izuku kept dodging and trying to counter attack. Eventually, he saw his opening and took it. As Torino came rushing at him, Izuku sidestepped and delivered a blow to the pro's shoulder, sending him flying into a tree. As Gran Torino landed against the trunk of the tree, he let out a strangled groan. Izuku walked over to him and helped him up.

"You alright? Sorry, I should've been a bit easier."

"I'll be fine. I've handled worse than a sturdy tree in my time. In any case, you're improving with your creativity in battle. We'll pick this up tomorrow. For now, give me a lap around. Make it quick, I believe your mom said she was cooking Katsudon tonight." Gran Torino sat down on the grass and Izuku ran off on the trail. He had been running for about ten minutes before he finally stopped to take a breather. He grabbed his water bottle and downed a good gulp before leaning against a tree. He caught his breath and got back on the trail.

"Izuku?" he froze in place and then slowly turned around to see Bakugo standing ten feet behind him. His mind went blank, and he struggled to think of something to say.

"H-hey, Kacchan." He stood still, frozen in panic at the current situation. He could hear his heartbeat in his head, and his throat was going dry. He fumbled with the monitoring collar and was about to say something when he heard-

"Kid! There you are. What's with the lollygagging? You need to- Oh." Gran Torino saw Bakugo across from Izuku and walked up to the green haired boy. "Go back home, kid. We need to go over your lessons soon anyway."

"...Yes sir." Izuku muttered out as he turned around and began to walk back.

"I'm sorry!" Izuku paused, and turned around to see Bakugo tensed up. "For what I did to you."

"... I am too." Izuku watched as Bakugo relaxed and nodded to him, walking off in the opposite direction. Izuku turned to Gran Torino. "I'll head home and get started on my assignments for tonight."

"Alright, just don't get lost on the way there." Gran Torino watched from behind as Izuku walked ahead of him. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number, hoping she would pick up.

"_Hello?_"

"Suoh, he met Bakugo tonight. I think you might need to talk to the two of them."

"_... I'll arrange a meeting for both of them tomorrow. It's probably time those two finally understood each other. Have Izuku come to my office at the school, tomorrow at 3 pm._" She hung up, and Torino continued to the Midoriya's with concern for how tomorrow would go.

**_Dr Suoh's office, U.A. High School, the next day:_**

Bakugo was already waiting when the door opened. Izuku saw him sitting on the couch and went and sat on the opposite side. The two sat in silence as Eraser Head watched them both from the doorway. Bakugo finally spoke up.

"So, how's your mom?"

"... She's uh, she's doing good. Has more time with me, so she's happy about that."

"That's good."

"Thank you, by the way. She told me you would visit her sometimes with your family, so... thanks."

"... Sure thing." The silence came back, and finally Dr Suoh arrived at the door. She waved off Eraser Head, and the pro pulled her aside. The two boys could hear some muttering, but couldn't make out any actual words. There was a THWACK noise, followed by more words, and the pro hero walked off with a red mark on his cheek. Dr Suoh smiled and walked in.

"Alright. I'll be honest, I'm a bit terrified at how this is gonna go. But, it might be beneficial for both of you to understand the other completely." She held her hands up to their foreheads and activated her quirk. The trio were surrounded by gray mist with the glowing windows of their memories. Dr Suoh walked towards the two of them.

"So, I'm going to be doing something a bit different this time. I'm going to have you two explore each other's memories instead of simply viewing them. This will not only let you see what happened, but all the emotions you two felt in your past will also be felt by you two. You will both know each other completely." She motioned to two now forming swirling pillars of smoke, one green and one orange. Izuku walked to the orange pillar and Bakugo walked towards the green one.

"Remember, you're going to see and feel everything. Every memory, emotion, and thought. So... brace yourselves." She watched as the two of them nodded to her and waved to each other before walking through.

_**Izuku's Mind:**_

Bakugo walked through the green smoke and saw himself in a room with a computer screen in front of him.

"_I AM HERE!_" It was All Might's great mass rescue when he was first really noticed. Bakugo felt a sense of admiration, amazement, and even more so, ambition. The smoke changed to show a man with glasses and a doctor's coat in front of him.

"_You should probably give it up._" The doctor was explaining to Izuku that he was quirkless. A wave of numbness and disbelief washed over Bakugo, along with sadness. The scene shifted to show a younger Bakugo in a creek, and a hand was outstretched to him. This was the moment when the two stopped being friends.

"_Are you okay?_" Bakugo always thought that Izuku had seen him as weak in this moment, but all Izuku felt was worried and concerned. Bakugo felt his throat go dry and the smoke shifted to a seven year old Bakugo in front of him, smiling.

"_Stupid Deku._" Izuku had just gotten beaten up by Katsuki, who himself felt not only sadness from Izuku's mind, but regret from his own. He saw Tomura appear in the image, and it shifted to show All for One. Katsuki tensed up, feeling fear, panic and regret in every part of his mind.

"_However, I'm afraid I have other plans for you._" He was holding the villain's hand and Bakugo saw black smoke float across the image. Bakugo felt fear and dread, and pain started radiating through his body. Red pulsing flashes were going on as well, and when they stopped, the smoke remained and a voice spoke to All for One.

_"Call me Deku._" The scene shifted again but the black smoke remained. Deku was sparring with a member of All for One's army, a feeling of determination coming from Deku. Bakugo could feel two different minds at the moment, the darkness and power of Deku and the light and determination of Izuku. The scene shifted slightly, each time showing a different opponent facing him. Bakugo felt a sense of pride from Deku's success, but also fear and sorrow from Izuku's lack of control. Black smoke covered the entire area and Bakugo saw Deku come forward and start fighting him. With every blow his friend's split persona landed, there was a single word he uttered.

"_Weak. Powerless. Stupid. Little. Midoriya!_" Bakugo felt pain, regret, and helplessness from Izuku. _This is what he had to face inside his head_, he thought to himself. The scene shifted, and the black smoke covered the image of All for One in a hospital bed, handing Deku a knife.

"_You are my hidden blade._" Katsuki was torn between the pride Deku felt and the horror Izuku felt. The scene shifted to U.A. where he was looking at student information, planting the device and aiding with data analysis. The scene shifted and Bakugo was looking at himself with the black smoke turning slightly red. He felt rage and anger from Deku, but Izuku's thoughts were of panic.

"_Deku?_" a burst of fire changed the scene and Bakugo saw Inko in a crowded street in front of him, the black smoke getting a bit thinner.

"**_Go back! Please, go back!_**" Izuku's voice cried out, and Bakugo felt overwhelming sadness, pain and grief. The scene shifted and the Sports Festival was on a screen. Bakugo felt a cold analytic smugness from Deku, but Izuku looked on in amazement and pride. Bakugo himself was on the screen, and Izuku's thoughts were of admiration at this. His friend saw him as someone to aspire to be, when the scene shifted and the hero killer was in front of him, with his back facing Bakugo.

"_Hero is a title for those who accomplished great deeds!_" The scene shifted to Deku meeting the rest of the League: Dabi, Toga, Spinner, Magno, Compress, Twice and others. Deku felt a sense of comradery, but Izuku felt overwhelmingly trapped. The scene shifted to talking with the League, training with some of them and Bakugo felt Deku's pride grow while Izuku felt numb. The scene shifted to the League going into the forest, and then to Muscular's face before a burst of fire flew across it. Bakugo felt a mix of accomplishment from both Deku and Izuku, a single moment where the two personas were of one mind.

"_... why did you save me?! Aren't you a villain?_" Bakugo heard a boy's voice call out, and he could see the black smoke slightly shrink before going back. Deku felt confused and conflicted, but Izuku felt proud. The scene shifted and Bakugo felt like he was fighting himself in the forest, with rage, fear, hatred and panic swirling together from both voices. A knife fell to the ground, and the smoke fell away completely.

"_...Kacchan, please... save me._" The scene shifted again to show All for One facing All Might and Tomura across from him. Bakugo felt a surge of anger and spite, but it was from Izuku. Bakugo could feel Deku being forced down into Izuku's mind. The black smoke faded away completely and fire spread across Tomura. Izuku was fighting All for One, blasting him with fire.

"_I'M NOT GOING TO BE THE VILLAIN ANYMORE!_" he felt pride and defiance at this moment, and the scene shifted to All for One floating in the air above him, red and black tendrils coming towards him. Pain coursed through Bakugo's body.

"_I had such high hopes for you, Izuku. But it seems you're no longer worth the effort._" Bakugo felt the pain leave, and Izuku felt powerless but at the same time there was a sense of freedom. The scene shifted to All Might's final blow to the League of Villains' leader.

"**_UNITED... STATES OF... SMASH!_**" Bakugo felt a surge of pride and joy from Izuku's memory, as he saw the villain laying on the ground. The scene changed and he saw Dr Suoh in Izuku's memories.

"_Just remember why you strive to become a hero, why you want to follow this path. Do that, and you'll be fine._" The green smoke surrounding him faded away, and he saw Izuku standing in front of him.

_**Bakugo's Mind, moments earlier:**_

Izuku walked forward and saw a classroom with a group of kids standing around him. His hands were making small explosions. This was when Bakugo had gotten his quirk. Izuku felt a swell of pride from Bakugo's memories, and he watched as the scene changed. Mitsuki was leaning over him, smiling at him.

"_Remember, Katsuki, the best heroes are the strongest. They don't let anything stop them from being a hero._" Izuku felt Bakugo's pride and happiness at this, and the scene shifted. He was in a creek, and a younger version of Izuku was looking at him with his arm outstretched. It was the moment that their friendship had ended.

"_Are you okay?_" Izuku felt a surge of anger and bitterness from Bakugo and the scene shifted to a slightly older Izuku on the ground, dirty and bruised.

"_Stupid Deku._" Izuku could feel a smug sense of arrogance and pride from Bakugo's mind, and the scene changed to show Mitsuki and Inko talking to each other.

"_I don't know, Katsuki told me he hasn't seen him since this morning._" This must have been just after Izuku had gone with Tomura to meet All for One. Inko started crying, and Izuku felt Bakugo's regret and shame. The scene shifted to a classroom full of middle school students, and Izuku saw all of them walk out the door. One of them walked up to him.

"_Hey Bakugo! Good luck on getting into U.A.! You probably won't need it, though._" He felt a surge of pride and accomplishment, and the scene shifted to show the old playground where Izuku had been when he left.

"_Are you ever coming back?_" Izuku heard Bakugo's voice, and felt a wave of guilt wash over him. The scene changed and he was in Bakugo's room, watching a recording of All Might.

"_Congratulations on entering U.A., young Bakugo!_" He felt a surge of pride and accomplishment, and the scene shifted to show the League of Villains at the USJ. Izuku saw as one of them was approaching faster. Izuku recognized his Deku mask as it was gripped and blasted apart.

"_Not so tough now, are y-_" He charged forward, only to be met with a blast of fire pushing him back and onto the ground. As Bakugo got to his feet, he looked on to see the remnants of the helmet fall away and reveal Izuku's face.

"_... Deku?_" Izuku felt Bakugo's dread, fear, guilt, and regret wash over him as red eyes stared back at him while his opponent smiled.

"_You have no idea how right you are, Bakugo._" Deku smiled as he swung his knife, and flames filled the vision. The scene changed, and Izuku saw himself inside Bakugo's room when it was dark. He felt fear and guilt from Bakugo's mind as Mitsuki looked at him.

"_Mom... do you think I... I can make things right with him?_" Izuku felt sorrow, and a single bit of hope from Bakugo. Even after what he had seen, Bakugo wanted to try and make amends. Izuku teared up a little, and watched as Mitsuki stood at the doorway.

"_... Maybe. Once he's found._" She walked away, and Izuku felt a sense of unease from Bakugo, as the scene shifted yet again. He was standing in front of Deku, who simply smiled at him. They were in the forest, during the training camp attack.

"_Hello Katsuki._" Then Deku and him began to fight, and a swirl of guilt, determination, frustration and even hope came to Izuku from Bakugo's memories. Deku then dropped the knife and Izuku was staring into his own face. Green tear filled eye stared at him, and he felt Bakugo's sense of hope rise.

"_Kacchan... please... save me._" Izuku felt determination and hope surge through Bakugo's mind like a raging inferno. The scene shifted to show All Might standing in front of him.

"_... Of course, young Bakugo. I promise you, we'll bring back Izuku Midoriya._" Izuku stared to cry, his friend had been the one to make sure All Might had tried to save him. The scene shifted to show a TV screen, and All Might was facing All for One.

"_Come on, All Might! Don't let him win! Beat this bastard!_" Katsuki was yelling at the screen, Izuku felt panic and hope both surging through Bakugo's mind. At that point, the scene shifted to show a news clip of Izuku's face. Bakugo was feeling relief and hope, and the orange smoke faded away and Izuku saw Bakugo standing across from him.

_**Dr Suoh's Office, now:**_

Dr Suoh stopped using her quirk and the two were back on the couch in her office as she laid back in her chair, trying to catch her breath.

"Sorry, maintaining something that complex takes a lot of... concentration..." She noticed that both of them were just staring at the ground, both shaking slightly.

"... So, which one of yo-" She was cut off as Bakugo hugged Izuku, who after some stunned silence returned the hug. Both of them were slowly processing what they had just experienced. Bakugo pulled away and put his face in his hands.

"Kacchan... Thank you... for not giving up on me. For trying to get me back."

"... Because it was my fault. You went to him because I... I bullied you because I thought you saw me as weak. But you never did, even when you were him."

"It wasn't your fault I went. The bullying, it was a reason, but it was my choice to go. A choice I've regretted for eight years." Dr Suoh leaned forward.

"Both of you were kids at the time. I think it's safe to say neither one of you were really truly thinking about the consequences of your actions. You're both right in what you're saying, but you should also remember the years you've both spent in your regrets. Your choices and their consequences created your pasts, but your goals shape the here and now. So, what are you two going to do now?" The two looked at each other and then away. Bakugo clenched his fist and Izuku took a deep breath. Bakugo was the first to speak up.

"I'll talk to the rest of 1-A. They should know the real story about you. All of it."

"... Thank you, Kacchan. But I'd also like to try and talk to them myself and apologize for my actions. I need to right my own wrongs on my terms." Izuku sat up straight and looked at his old friend. "Only then can I truly live up to this second chance I've been given."

"... Alright... I am sorry for what I did, how I hurt you. But I'm glad you're back."

"... I forgive you, if you can forgive me." Izuku stared tearing up, and Bakugo held his hand out. Izuku shook it and the two shared a brief hug. Dr Suoh sighed and closed her notebook.

"Well, I'd say we made quite a lot of progress. Let's resume your regular sessions at their usual times." The two boys nodded and walked to the door together. Izuku paused at a picture on the wall of a group of kids in blue school uniform jackets. Two were identical redheads, one looked practically like an elementary schooler, with a black haired guy towering over him. Another was wearing a pair of glasses and the final two were what looked like a younger Dr Suoh and a blonde haired boy with his arm draped across her.

"Is this you?" Izuku pointed to the picture, and Dr Suoh smiled at the photo.

"Yeah, those are my old friends from my high school years at Ouran Academy. We were the host club there, best experience of my life. All the talking to people there, listening to their dreams and experiences actually inspired me to get into the psychology field. Some of them actually help fund the school." she smiled at the memory of the chaotic group they had been, while Izuku and Bakugo walked out.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that. It felt horrifying." Bakugo shivered, remembering how Izuku had felt during his time with the League.

"I'm sorry you had to face him like that. Whenever he saw you, you were just ground zero for all of his anger." Izuku rubbed his arm.

"I think I handled myself well enough." Izuku smiled to himself.

"What your mom told you, about heroes being strong... that's what drives you, isn't it? Why you have such determination." Bakugo looked down at his feet and then sighed.

"Yeah, I guess. But that doesn't forgive what I did to you. That wasn't me being stronger than you, it was just... anger... But I've learned a lot since then. The doc really helped me out, I guess." He smiled as the pair made their way towards the entrance. As they came out the main doors, a small group ran towards them. Both of them recognized Kirishima, Uraraka and Iida.

"Bakubro, we've been looking for you all-" Kirishima stopped short when he saw Izuku next to Bakugo. The other two stopped as well, and Izuku glanced towards the ground before turning to Bakugo.

"I should-" he muttered out before Bakugo grabbed him around the shoulder and walked to the rest of them.

"Guys, this is Izuku Midoriya... my friend. He was controlled by that villain All Might almost lost to, and he's been seeing Dr Suoh in order to make sure he never becomes a villain again." At this, the trio looked at Izuku, who simply looked away in anxiety.

"...I'm sorry. For everything I did when I was a villain. My actions were unforgivable, and controlled or not, I still hurt all of you. It's a pitiful apology, I know, but I am truly sorry." Izuku saw a hand stretch out to him, and looking up saw the redhead looking at him.

"Hey. I'm Eijiro Kirishima, Bakugo's classmate and best friend." Izuku slowly took his hand and shook it. "He kept talking about you to himself after the camp attack. It's nice to meet the real you." Tenya came forward and held his own hand out.

"I am Tenya Iida, the future hero Ingenium." Izuku simply stared at his hand, and took a deep breath.

"Tenya... I was the one who had Stain sent away during your fight." Izuku saw Tenya's face become confused, and Izuku looked away. "I'm not sorry you couldn't get even. He would've killed you for sure if-"

"Getting even wouldn't have granted me anything." Tenya fixed his glasses on his face and turned to Izuku. "Dr Suoh was quite helpful after the Hosu incident. If I had gotten even with Stain... that would've dishonored my brother's legacy and I would've gone down a path that villains walk. So I thank you for saving my life, and my spirit." Izuku smiled and nodded to him. Uraraka walked up to him and nodded her head.

"I'm Ochacho Uraraka. I'm glad you're doing better."

"Thank you. All of you." Izuku turned to Bakugo and smiled. "I should get going, don't want to miss anything back home."

"See you later, you nerd." Bakugo scoffed, and Izuku smiled at them all before walking off.

"He seems... lonely." Kirishima rubbed the back of his head.

"He looks like someone trying to recover from something horrifying." Tenya adjusted his tie.

"He's kinda cute." Uraraka muttered to herself.

"Huh?" All three of the boys looked at her, trying to figure out what she had whispered?

"Nothing!" She blurted out, her face going slightly red as she walked towards the dorms. As the four of them walked off, Izuku was walking home with a renewed sense of purpose and determination.

"_Make amends, right wrongs. So far, so good. I just hope the rest of them will be this easy._" he thought to himself as he saw his home come into view. As he walked inside, a man landed on the rooftop across from his place. The blond haired hero folded up his red wings and sat down. He grabbed a walkie talkie out of his pocket and pushed the button on the side.

"This is Hawks. Izuku Midoriya has arrived home without incident. He was talking to some kids earlier, but they all seemed pretty friendly to him. Standing by."

"_Acknowledged, Hawks. Your relief will be sent to your location in three hours. Stay put for the time being._" The Hero Association came through and Hawks simply sat back until he could take off.

_**Midoriya Residence Training Basement, a few days later:**_

Mirio and Izuku were going head-to-head, and so far neither was winning. Neither of them were losing, either. Whenever Mirio would phase through something, Izuku changed his current spot. Whenever Izuku charged, Mirio would always dodge or phase. Gran Torino looked at his watch in disbelief. They had been in a stalemate for ten minutes, and he blew his whistle.

"Alright, that's enough. Both of you take a breather." The two of them nodded and sat down on the ground. Mirio looked over at Izuku, trying to catch his breath.

"You know, you've gotten a lot better with One for All. Last month you couldn't even land a single blow." He chuckled and Izuku slapped him on the shoulder lightly.

"That's because I was still figuring you out. You always keep yourself untouchable whenever you're not completely out of phasing. The only time you're tangible is when you strike, but therein lies your weakness. If you can hit me, I can touch you. That's how you got flipped after punching me last week." He grabbed a water bottle and took a good gulp, tossing another to Mirio.

"So, I should plan to be constantly phasing so nobody can touch me?" Mirio dabbed the sweat of his face with a towel and took a swig of water.

"Not if you want to put extreme stress and tension on your body and mind. And definitely not if you want to effectively use One for All. Just remember what your enemy is capable of, and don't underestimate them. See what their strength is and try to use that to your advantage." Izuku stretched out his limbs.

"That sounds like what the League taught you." Gran Torino spoke up, and Izuku went still for a moment. "It's pretty good advice, actually."

"It was part of my training. Everyday I had to face people who were stronger, faster, or more powerful. I learned to think like they did, watching them fight and breaking down their style before finishing the fight." Izuku sat down on a bench press and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Of course, it's pretty easy to apply the same tactics to being a hero. You just switch the sides you and your opponent are on."

"... Think like the villains to take them down... Pretty good idea." Mirio smiled at him, and Izuku took a drink of water.

"Understand them completely, and you'll almost always win. Of course, there's the moments and villains you can never really predict." Izuku heard Gran Torino chuckle.

"Yeah, there have been plenty of wild cards in my day. In any case, go again. And this time, one of you is going to win within seven minutes or both of you will run forty laps in the park." Torino watched as the two got ready and pressed his stopwatch, letting the two go at each other.

_**League of Villains Hideout, a few days later:**_

The League was waiting for some of their members to return when the warehouse doors opened up. Twice walked in and with him was a young man wearing a green jacket with purple feathers on the top and what looked like a bird's beak on his face. Tomura smiled and looked at the man in front of him.

"You brought us a big fish. Good work, Twice." Tomura walked forward and stopped about four feet from the man. "The Shie Hassaikai's young head. You call yourself Overhaul, right?"

* * *

**_Whew! That took me a while, sorry about that. And this next chapter is definitely gonna take even longer. Why? Because I'm going to be trying to fit an entire arc into a single chapter, that's why. So, chapter 11 will be out... sometime in late-ish January. It depends on how I decide to explore the whole Eri arc, what I keep/change/explore/etc. So, don't expect it anytime soon, also expect spoilers next chapter. Until then, hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading!_**


	11. Saving Someone's Soul

**_HEY!_**

**_HEY YOU!_**

**_YEAH, YOU READING THIS!_**

**_THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS CHAPTER FOR SEASON 4 OF THE SHOW. SO IF YOU'RE NOT CAUGHT UP, EITHER GO WATCH IT OR JUST SKIP THIS CHAPTER._**

**_GOOD?_**

**_OKAY._**

* * *

**_League of Villains Hideout:_**

"The young head of the Shie Hassaikai." Tomura welcomed the young man into their hideout.

"Are you feeling braver now that All Might's retired, like most of the underworld?" Compress gleefully asked their new guest.

"Not really. I'm more concerned about the loss of All for One." Overhaul stared down the group, and Tomura got a bit uneasy. "Not only did the heroes lose their most powerful piece, but so did those in the shadows. The rest of the world's villains are looking for their next leader. So who'll become that new leader? Who deserve to become it more than me?"

"Who do you think you are? Why would I ever let someone as low as you become the new Symbol of Evil, my rightful title?" Tomura growled at him, gripping one of the crates and turning it to ash.

"So, you have a plan then?" Overhaul folded his arms across his chest, and Tomura chuckled.

"I'll come up with my plan once I need to. For right now, I simply need people. Besides, didn't you come here to join us?"

"A goal with no plan is just delusion. Stain, Moonfish, Muscular. All of them were incredibly valuable pieces, but you managed to lose them all almost right away... right? You didn't know how to use them properly. Your goal needs a plan to succeed, and I have just that plan. I came here to make you an offer, not join you."

"And what is this little offer of yours?" Toga spoke up, and Overhaul stretched out a gloved hand to the League.

"Work for my organization and I will bring down the heroes. Put yourselves under me, and I will utilize all of you properly to win against the pros." Tomura and Overhaul simply stared at each other, trying to decide what to do.

"... Go home. You're out of your mind if you think we'll work for you." Tomura walked away, and Overhaul simply glared at the young man.

"You really should reconsider-" he started before Magne pushed him back with her quirk. She got up and ran towards the yakuza head.

"I joined up with Tomura so I could be free to act as I pleased. Nobody will ever make me submit to them!" Magne swiped at Overhaul, but the villain managed to swipe his finger across Magne's arm. Magne's body bubbled under her skin and then her upper half exploded in a shower of blood. Red mist filled the air around her corpse.

"Big Sis Mag!" Toga screamed out, and Compress leapt towards Overhaul.

"I think that's enough out of you. Time you were sealed away." He stretched out his hand only to feel something stab him, and Overhaul swiped at him. Making contact with Compress' right arm, the limb burst into a shower of blood. Tomura rushed towards Overhaul, and a man with a mask rushed forward. As Tomura slammed his arm into him, he began to turn into ash. Several more men broke through the warehouse wall and joined Overhaul, who simply put his arms out in front of him. Two small portals appeared as his limbs went forward, and they disappeared into the swirling vortex.

"I think it would be best if you left. Now." the young man turned around to see Kurogiri behind him, with the warp gates his hands had gone through in front of two of the yakuza members. Every other member he had brought were also being held in mid air by Kurogiri's gates, their upper bodies all dangling from several feet up. Overhaul pulled his arms back and looked at the League.

"There's no need for anymore loss on either of our sides. Take some time to consider my offer." Overhaul turned back and looked at Kurogiri, handing him a business card. The warp gate villain released his associates, and the yakuza walked off as Kurogiri walked over to Tomura.

"I apologise for not arriving sooner, Tomura. The doctor held me up for quite a while. Had I managed to get here sooner, we might not have lost Magne or Compress' arm." Kurogiri bowed his head, and Tomura looked at the ground to see a small red vial. Picking it up, he noticed there was a needle on the end of it. He placed it in his pocket.

"For right now, we need to move. Take us to the backup hideout. I've got a few ideas. I'll make that arrogant yakuza repay me for everything we've lost today."

**_Midoriya Residence, a few days later:_**

Izuku sat in the office, waiting for Dr Suoh to show up for their appointment. He drummed his fingers against the cover of his journal, and stood up when Dr Suoh finally walked in.

"Alright, first things first." She reached around Izuku's neck and disconnected the monitoring collar. Placing it in a small box, she turned back to Izuku. "Congratulations. The evaluations I gave got them to end your probationary period a month early. You'll be off the hook in about a week. We'll still have your under surveillance, but now you'll have a lot more freedom. You did it, Izuku. You earned their trust."

"... Thank you, ma'am. Thank you so much." Izuku started to tear up, and wiped his eyes.

"Next, I'm going to need to borrow your journal. For a more in depth look."

"Oh, right." Izuku handed her the journal, and she flipped through the pages quickly, stopping once she saw something. She flipped back a few pages to a drawing.

"What's this?" She held it up to Izuku, who recognized the sketch he'd made of a costume.

"Oh, uh, that's my uh... hero outfit. It just came to me, and I drew it so I could think it over. Not that I'm saying I'm ready to be a hero yet, or anything. I know I still have a ways to go before I'm really ready. I was just-"

"Izuku." He stopped when he heard Dr Suoh address him a bit sterner. "You were rambling again."

"Sorry." Izuku bowed his head in embarrassment, and Dr Suoh looked at the design he had worked out.

"... Interesting design... but it looks like it's lacking something... I'll see what we can do." She closed the journal and slipped it into her purse. Izuku looked at her in disbelief.

"You mean, I'll actually-"

"We're training you to one day be a hero. Makes sense you should look the part. Might also help you in your training." she sat back in her chair and Izuku smiled brightly before shaking her hand.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! Although, I do have some suggestions on the design and function of it." He sat down and the two talked about specifications for about ten minutes before she finally had to leave.

"You've made good progress, Izuku. Keep it up, and you'll be a great hero someday. Oh, before I forget, Nighteye wanted you to meet him at his agency." She handed him a business card and waved to him. As she left, Izuku felt a sense of pride and looked at the business card. He ran up to his room, changed into some more formal clothes than the shirt and shorts he had on and rushed to the door. Almost knocking over Gran Torino, he ran by the old pro.

"Kid, wait! Nighteye wants-"

"IKNOW,ONMYWAYTHERE,BYE!" Izuku rambled off faster than he was running, and Torino simply stared at him before running after him.

"Let's at least go there together, kid." The old pro whacked Izuku on the head, and the two of them then proceeded to walk the rest of the way.

**_Nighteye Hero Agency, a half hour later:_**

Izuku and Gran Torino walked into the building and made their way to Nighteye's office. As they entered, Izuku took in all of the All Might memorabilia on the walls.

"_Nighteye is a fanboy too, huh?_" Izuku thought to himself, as he looked around in amazement. Nighteye fixed his glasses, and addressed the two of them.

"Please, have a seat." The two sat across the desk from Nighteye and the man simply stared at Izuku. "I've called you here, Izuku because ultimately, I want you to be an intern here. Once you've completed and passed the test the U.A. staff have prepared for you, you will be issued a case specific provisional hero license. However, that license will only let you perform hero work under the supervision of either myself or another pro here at the agency until you officially join U.A.'s students. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now, Mirio is due to be on patrol soon. You'll accompany him as a civilian, and watch him during his patrol. This is so you can get a good idea of what kind of work you'll be doing here." Nighteye pointed to the door, and Midoriya walked out. Torino looked at Nighteye and scowled.

"There's more than you're letting on. He's advancing a bit fast with this. Why are you letting it happen?"

"Because it's part of the future I saw for him. He needs to become a hero, and sooner rather than later." Nighteye meshed his fingers together and recalled the memory he saw of a young man in a bird mask facing Midoriya.

**_Near the Agency:_**

Mirio and Izuku walked together, both taking in all of the city going on around them.

"So, why pick Lemillion as your hero name? Doesn't seem to tie to your quirk at all."

"It's my goal. I'm going to be the hero that saves a million people. A hero name shouldn't be just their quirk, but a reflection of who that person is and what they want to do as a hero."

"Yeah, but still. Lemillion makes you sound kinda weird."

"Oh, really? Well what would you use for your hero name?"

"Certainly something better than-" Izuku was cut off as he felt something slam into his leg. He looked to see a young girl in a plain white dress and bandages on her limbs on the ground, wincing in pain. "Oh, sorry about that. You okay?" He put his hand on her head and saw her look at him with wide eyes. He helped her to her feet and brushed her hair off her shoulders.

"Are you okay?"

"Eri." Izuku heard a voice come from in front of him, and the girl leaned forward and gripped Izuku tight. She was shaking, and Izuku could feel tears begin to hit his chest.

"There you are." a young man in a green jacket and wearing a bird-like beak mask was standing in front of the trio. Izuku's eyes went wide, he knew who this man was. During his time with the League, he had collected intel on several gangs and yakuza in order to form more connections with the criminal underworld. This was one of the Shie Hassaikai, the one they called Overhaul. Izuku held Eri closer, and the young man simply stared at them both.

"Eri, time to go home." Izuku saw the girl turn her head and look on in fear at the yakuza in front of him. Her eyes went wide for a moment and then she ran to the man, stopping short in front of him. Izuku noticed that one of the man's gloves was almost off, and he pulled it back up when she got to him. The young man turned to them both.

"My daughter has tantrums sometimes. She's quite a handful. Sorry to disturb the both of you." The pair walked off back down a back alley, and Izuku clenched his fists. He began to walk towards them when Mirio held his hand in front of Izuku.

"Izuku, we'd be putting her in danger if we did anything. Plus, we don't have any clue what that guy is capable of."

"He's Kai Chisaki, most commonly called Overhaul. He's a member of the Hassaikai yakuza, and his quirk lets him break down and reassemble anything. And he's torturing that girl somehow." Izuku recalled moments when All for One would use a good portion of his power to beat Deku in training. The aura Overhaul gave off was just like All for One, someone who used others and themselves had power nobody else could really match. The bandages on the girl's body made a chill run up his spine. He was doing something horrible to her.

"Right now, we'd be outmatched. And you're just a civilian. If you went after him, you'd be a vigilante and the heroes would make sure you never become a pro. You'd blow your second chance if you went now."

"She was terrified. She was clinging to me like her life depended on it. But she went with him anyway." Izuku turned to Mirio. "That means her fear of what he'd do to us outweighs her fear of him and what he does to her." Izuku gripped his fists and walked back to the agency. Miro walked after him and put his hand on Izuku's shoulder.

"Let's go tell Sir what happened. We might be able to do something."

**_Hassaikai Lair, a few days later:_**

Tomura walked into a room with two couches, Overhaul sitting opposite him. He walked forward and plopped down on the couch, glaring at the yakuza head.

"This place is quite the maze. I was walking for half an hour before getting here."

"So, you've thought about my offer?"

"Let me make one thing clear. The League won't work under you, and you don't get to control our organization. But we will work with you to achieve our goal. After you pay us back. Magne and Compress' arm aren't easily replaceable like your men are. We deserve repayment. If not in blood, then information. Tell me what this is, and what your plan with it is, and I'll consider us even." Tomura held up a red bullet and Overhaul simply stared at the young man, weighing the risks.

"Very well. It's a serum that can, for the moment, temporarily negate a person's quirk. We're planning on using it against the hero population in order to change this world of heroes."

"Temporarily... at the moment... you're trying to make these things permanent, aren't you? Find a way to destroy someone's quirk for good, right?" Tomura smiled, and Overhaul simply sat back on the couch.

"Yes. We're currently furthering our goal, but we could use some additional help as far as security. Perhaps your allies Kurogiri and-"

"I'll send you two that I think will work best for you, but Kurogiri stays with the League. Oh, one other thing. If you see this guy, kill him immediately. He was called Deku, and he was our best until he betrayed us." Tomura held up a photo of Izuku, and Overhaul's eyes widened slightly.

"I met him a few days ago. He was with another guy in a hero outfit. Didn't really seem like a villain to me."

"... Even so, if you see him, make sure to make him your priority. He's the best at taking down our opponents." Tomura put the photo on the table between the two and walked to the door behind him.

"Good luck with your plan." he smirked as he walked away.

_**U.A. Training Grounds, later the following day:**_

Izuku was facing off against multiple robots left over from the entrance exam, steadily working his way around and through them. Several teachers were watching as he continued with the license exam they had put together for him. Luckily, no students were outside their dorms at this time of night. Izuku managed to down the last robot and went to work retrieving the actors the staff had brought in to be civilians in danger.

"He's doing remarkably well. His weaker version of One for All is remarkably potent." Nezu watched in interest, seeing Izuku tackle everything in a strategic manner.

"Time for phase two, then." Eraser Head pulled up a walkie talkie and spoke into it. "Orca, you're up."

"_Understood._" At this, Gang Orca burst through one of the walls in the training grounds with several other people dressed in black tactical gear. Izuku stood between them and the "civilians".

"Get to safety. Hide in the buildings. I'll handle this." He turned his attention to Gang Orca, and the pro hero rushed him. Izuku jumped up and tried to slam a foot down onto Orca's back, only to get his leg grabbed and his body tossed towards the civilians. Izuku spun around and slammed his foot into the pavement, bringing him to a stop. He turned and saw Orca's men spreading out. They were trying to stretch him too thin.

"_Alright, Izuku, think. Smallest threats first then focus on the big guy._" he thought to himself as he activated Full Cowling and one by one, tackled the goons to the ground with precision attacks. Once all of them were unconscious, he turned his attention back to Orca. Rushing forward, he used his legs to sweep up a gust of wind. Orca raised his hands to brace himself for the attack, but Izuku simply ran forward and used the pro's ready arms as a springboard to propel himself into the air. Turning mid air, he concentrated his power into his arm and legs.

"_One for All, 80%: Diving Smash!_" He shot forward and slammed down onto Orca, sending the pro back several feet and slamming to the ground. Izuku ran over and put his foot on Orca's back.

"Stand down." he told the pro, and Orca simply tapped the ground three times. A horn blew, and Izuku knew the test had ended. He got off the pro's back and helped him to his feet.

"I'm impressed, kid. You really handle yourself well." Orca held his hand out, and Izuku shook it.

"Thank you, sir." The pair of them walked to the observation room where the rest of the teachers were waiting. Nezu stood in front of Izuku.

"We'll have your final results ready in a few days, but I'm very optimistic about your chances."

"Thank you, sir. For all of this. I can't thank you enough for this chance." Izuku bowed slightly and All Might came up to him.

"Young Midoriya, I'm amazed at the progress you've made. A little more time, and you'll become a true hero." All Might patted him on the back, and Gran Torino stepped forward.

"Alright, kid. Let's get going. You still got lessons to get through today." The pair of them waved the rest goodbye, and walked back to the car waiting for them. When he got home, all Izuku could really think about was how close he was to becoming a hero.

_**Nighteye Hero Agency, the following day:**_

Izuku had been called in early in the morning to the agency, per Nighteye's request. He was led into Nighteye's office, where the pro was sitting behind his desk with a large case on top of it.

"We've had someone working on this for a while. Now, even though your license has yet to be approved, I think you should see this." He stood up and opened the case to reveal a green outfit with black and white details. Izuku stepped forward and took the fabric in his hands.

"It's made with tear resistant fabric, shock absorbent pads line the interior, and supports are built in to lessen the effects One for All makes on your body. The gloves and shoes both have reinforcements to help your blows land more powerfully without putting a large strain on your body." Nighteye explained, and Izuku was in awe of it all. He looked at the upper part of the case and saw a mask with a green pair of eyes and a blank face.

"What's this for?"

"Put on the outfit, including the mask. We've got something to attend to." Nighteye walked out of the room, and Izuku simply held the outfit in his hands. What was going on? He put those thoughts aside and changed into the hero outfit. The suit fit him perfectly, and the gloves and boots felt perfectly weighted. He took a look at the mask, and after a deep breath, slipped it on. The eyes adjusted themselves with his vision, and they had a tactical readout on them. He turned to the door and walked out to meet Nighteye.

"Follow my lead, and do not say anything. Whatever you hear, make sure you don't lose your composure." The pair walked into a room, and Izuku saw a group of pros as well as a few students from U.A. and Mirio sitting down as well. Izuku took the sit next to Mirio and simply sat straight.

"Who is this?" a pro hero that Izuku recognized as Rock Lock spoke up, pointing at Izuku.

"This is my newest intern, Chikara. He'll be involved with this as well. Thank you all for coming. The reason I've called you all here is because I believe all of you are connected by a common thread." Nighteye opened up his computer and tapped a few buttons. On the screen on the opposite wall, a photo of Overhaul was shown. "This man, Kai Chisaki otherwise known as Overhaul, has been suspected in a new drug operation. Evidence suggests that there are two drugs being developed by his organization, the Shie Hassaikai. One is a temporary quirk amplifier that can boost a person's quirk to incredible levels for a brief period. The other is more worrying, a quirk nullifying agent that stops a person's power for a brief time. Both were used by low level villains captured within the last few days, all of whom Fat Gum and his interns encountered."

"So, that's what happened to you, Tamaki." Kirishima turned to the black haired individual next to him, and Izuku got tense. He remembered researching Chisaki back during his time with the League. The man was a tactical mastermind, and his quirk levels weren't easily evaluated. But he was powerful, and he was far too much like All for One.

"Thanks to the efforts of Kirishima, we've been able to analyze the serum of the quirk nullifier. We discovered blood cells and human tissue samples. That, combined with other evidence points to this young girl as the crux of the yakuza's operation." Nighteye clicked a button, and a picture of Eri appeared on screen. "Mirio and Chikara here both encountered her one day and Chisaki showed up seconds later. The two of them left together, but there were bandages around the girl's arms and legs. With what we've been able to determine, her quirk may be involved with the creation of these serums."

"Wait, you mean-"

"Overhaul's quirk is to dismantle and reassemble things at any level. We think... that he's been using this young girl, his daughter, as the means of producing these serums. By using his quirk on her." At this, Izuku took in a sharp breath, and he felt cold all over. His mind wandered back to a training session against All for One, when the villain held him in place with his own powers. Izuku remembered the pain he felt back then, and he saw Overhaul's face in front of him, but his voice was that of All for One.

"**_Everything I do, I do to make you stronger, my boy._**" He saw an image of Eri flash in his mind, and felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Mirio looking at him, his usual smile replaced by a stern look of determination. Izuku took a few deep breaths and regained his composure. The rest of the meeting droned on in his mind, his focus now on trying to fix his mistake of letting her go back with him. After everyone had left, he walked to the bathroom and walked into one of the stalls. Pulling his mask off, he took deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. A knock on the stall snapped him back to reality.

"Izuku, it's Mirio. Sir wanted me to tell you that we're going to be searching for her. And when the time comes, you and I are going to lead the charge... We're getting her back. We're making sure she's safe." Izuku listened and held the mask in his hands. Chikara, meaning strength. That was who he was for the time being. He pulled the mask back on and walked out. Mirio and him walked side by side, now more determined than ever.

_**League of Villains Hideout, later:**_

Tomura was sitting on a broken couch as he explained his goal.

"Toga, Twice, you two will help out the Hassaikai for the time being. We get them on our side, and we'll have more resources."

"I joined the League so I could have the freedom to do what I want. So why do I have to follow orders now?" Toga got right next to Tomura and held Deku's old knife under his chin. Tomura simply looked her in the eyes.

"... Because it'll help us. I don't really care about the yakuza, just what they have to offer. Their man-power, their resources, their connections. All of it will help further our goal of bringing down the heroes." Tomura smiled at her, and Toga thought for a minute before putting the knife away. She went over to Twice and grabbed him by the arm.

"Come on, Twice! We've got a bunch of new people to meet."

_**Nighteye Agency, a few days later:**_

Izuku looked down at his provisional hero license which had the name Chikara on it, and in the corner there was a small red circle indicating it was an agency connected license. He put it in his pocket and slipped on his mask. While the operation was undergoing, he had to remain in his hero outfit at all times. Nobody outside the U.A. staff and a few others knew Izuku was being trained covertly, and he preferred it that way. He wasn't ready to be in the spotlight just yet, not until he had done something worthy of a hero.

The conference room was filled with the same people that had met a few days ago. The heroes had all investigated the areas they operated in and finally, they had all determined the location of the main Hassaikai lair. Everyone had their tasks, and the police would be working side by side with them. Izuku glanced over all the people present and watched with crystal clear focus as the meeting progressed. Nighteye had used his Foresight on a man connected to the yakuza and confirmed not only the location of the hideout, but that Eri would be there as well. It was all coming together. Izuku watched as Mirio came over to him after the meeting had ended.

"What is it?" he watched as Mirio plucked a hair off his head and handed it to Izuku.

"Sir told us there was a chance that the quirk destroying serums might be ready by the time we get there, right? I figured if anything happens to me..." Mirio looked down, and Izuku finally understood. He was giving him One for All, the real version. Izuku nudged his hand back.

"No. I've already got-"

"You were determined not to let All Might's legacy end with him during the Kamino incident. That's why you took the vial, right?" Mirio watched as Izuku stiffened then relaxed. "If anything happens to me, eat this. I'd prefer if we had a full version of One for All."

"... Nothing will happen to you. But in case it does..." Izuku took his mask off knowing they were alone, and plucked one of his own hairs. "You're trusting me with your power. So I'll trust you with mine." Izuku watched as Mirio took his hair and placed it in one of his pouches on his hero outfit, and Izuku did the same. The two shook hands and Izuku pulled his mask back on.

_**Hassaikai Lair, the following day:**_

This was it, today was the day. Izuku stood ready to go as the rest of the raid team approached the main Hassaikai compound. A few police went to the door, and a group of people burst out. A fight ensued, and one of the yakuza grew to an incredible size. Izuku watched as Ryuko went head to head with him and followed the others into the building. They ran down a hallway, stopping at one point as Nighteye opened up a secret tunnel. The group rushed down, and the tunnel began to close up in front of them. Izuku and Kirishima both broke through the wall, while Mirio had simply phased through. The redhead looked at the green clad hero and smiled.

"You're pretty good at this aren't you?" Izuku simply nodded and the group continued forward. After a while, the tunnel began to shift and warp. Several walls went up and Fat Gum and Kirishima were sent flying into another area. Trapped with Eraser Head, Izuku used his mask's tactical readout to try and find other people, eventually seeing two heat signatures behind one of the walls. Bursting through, he saw Rock Lock on the ground with another standing over him.

"There was a shape shifter. I've got them taken care of." Rock Lock motioned them over and Izuku looked over the body while Eraser Head scanned the room. Something was wrong, the shape shifter on the ground had a stab wound but there was no knife. Izuku looked over at Rock Lock only to see the hero try to stab him with a knife. Eraser Head used his quirk, and the form of Toga appeared out of some gray sludge.

"_What are you doing here, Toga? Why would you be with these people?_" Izuku immediately went into defense mode, making sure she couldn't cut him. He saw the knife slash by his head, and he recognized it. It was Deku's weapon, the knife he had tossed away during the Kamino Ward incident.

"Why- how do you have that?!" he tried to land a blow, but Toga managed to slash across the side of his mask. The resulting tear left part of his eye and a few hairs visible. Toga looked on and smiled.

"... Izuku. What are you doing here?" She grinned widely as her body was wrapped up by Eraser's capture scarf. She flipped around and slashed Eraser across the back, and as the pro went down a wall formed between the duo and Toga. Eraser winced in pain as he went over to Rock Lock and tried to help with his wounds. He turned back to Izuku.

"Go, find Nighteye and Mirio. Do what you need to, but make sure the mission's completed." Izuku nodded, and ran off towards the direction Mirio was heading.

_**Meanwhile:**_

Mirio was proceeding down the hallway, and saw Overhaul and another man with him. In the other man's arms was Eri. As he got closer, his senses started to warp and he felt like he saw swimming through his own thoughts. A man appeared on the ceiling, and Mirio couldn't get a good grip of himself. Another man appeared in a black outfit, and pointed a gun at Mirio firing off a round.

"What's your quirk?" A wave of purple circles filled the hallway and Mirio looked at his opponent.

"Permeation, I can slip through anything. And One for All, a super strength quirk." Mirio gasped as he finished that sentence. He had been forced to reveal it, but now these villains knew the truth. Mirio watched and focused on his opponents, and eventually he made his move. Phasing through the wall, he bounced around the hall at random places and eventually managed to slam both of them into the ground. Running towards Overhaul, Mirio phased through the ground and came up in front of them. As Overhaul narrowly dodged a blow from him, Mirio managed to phase through Eri to land a kick on Chisaki's ally. As the villain went flying back into his boss, Mirio grabbed Eri and held her close.

"Why? ... you can't be here! He'll kill you!" She began to cry and Mirio simply held her closer.

"I'll make sure you don't get hurt by him again."

"Eri... I'll kill him? You still don't understand. You break people, you always have. You were born that way, born cursed. I always have to get my hands dirty because of how selfish you are. Every thing you do gets people killed."

"How can you say that about your own daughter?"

"Oh, right. I did tell you that story... She's not my daughter. She's nothing more to me than a valuable piece of my plan." Mirio watched as Overhaul's glove fell to the floor, which then broke apart and reassembled back into spikes. The room became distorted and Mirio tried his best to avoid getting Eri hurt.

"Don't you care about her? She could've died!"

"True, but I can put her back together as long as I get to her right away. I'm the only one who can save her in this situation. So give up." Overhaul kept creating more and more obstacles for Mirio to work around, and Mirio was trying to protect both himself and Eri from the ever changing room. The man who was carrying Eri before came to, holding up the gun from earlier. The man took a few shots as Overhaul broke the ground apart again, but all of the shots simply passed through Mirio's cape. Mirio came up through the ground and slammed into the man, knocking both him and the gun away. Mirio faced Overhaul and began landing blow after blow against him.

"You think you can torment her and suffer no consequences? You use and break whoever you want! But you won't hurt her anymore! You won't lay another hand on her! No matter what, I'll be her hero!" Mirio threw another punch at Overhaul, and Eri simply watched, slightly hopeful of what would happen. The man from earlier came into the room though a crack in the wall and picked up the gun. Overhaul tossed him a case which held the red bullets. Loading one of them in, the man chuckled.

"... Go on then, be a hero." the other man pointed the gun at Eri and Mirio dove towards her. As the shot rang out, Mirio tried to put his arms around her. As Eri looked up at him, Mirio smiled at her as the bullet made impact. A sharp pain went throughout Mirio's body, and he gripped his fists in response. He could feel his power getting weaker, and he reached behind him to pull the bullet out. As the serum took its effect, he tried to catch his breath. He saw Eri on the ground in front of him and wrapped his cape around her. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out Izuku's hair and swallowed it quickly.

"The filth of this world were given power, and that in turn gave them dreams. To think that people can become something more than what they are is an illness of their own minds. You wanted to be a hero, and now, you've lost everything." Overhaul gloated as Mirio regained his breath and charged him. Upon making contact, Mirio tried to phase through only to feel unbearable pain radiate through his body. He lept back a few feet and looked down. Seeing a rock on the ground, he tried to phase through it. Upon feeling the same pain completely through his body, he struggled to phase through but eventually did. He looked on as Overhaul looked at him with disgust.

"So, it looks like the serum isn't ready yet. How disappointing. But still, you can't use that permeation power of yours without horrible pain, can you?" Overhaul chuckled to himself before watching as Mirio tossed his ally at him. Mirio landed blow after blow, and Overhaul had to use his power just to hold him back. Mirio was both fighting his opponent and making sure Eri wasn't harmed. The two fought for about five minutes, each suffering pain from the other before Overhaul screamed out in rage. "You're powerless. How do you have this much strength?"

"Because no matter what, I'm still Lemillion!" Mirio got caught by several spikes and struggled to get himself free, and saw the wall next to him break open and the masked form of Izuku burst through with Nighteye in tow. Izuku slammed his fist in Overhaul, knocking the villain back allowing Mirio some breathing room. Mirio looked at both of them and sighed in relief. "Sir, Midoriya... Eri, she's safe..." Nighteye rushed over to him and held both Mirio and Eri close to him.

"You did well, Mirio. Now go, get Eri to safety. We'll handle the rest." Nighteye helped him to his feet, and Izuku shielded him as Mirio and Eri made their way to the new hole in the wall.

"Midoriya... do it... the hair..." Mirio struggled to get out, and Izuku helped him to the exit. He pulled the hair out of his pouch and slid his mask up just enough to slip it into his mouth. As he swallowed, he turned back to Overhaul, sliding the mask back down. Overhaul rushed forward and tried to grab the exposed part of Izuku's face, but came up short skimming the fabric. As his mask broke apart from Chisaki's quirk, Overhaul's eyes widened as he saw Izuku's face.

"You. Tomura called you Deku. He said you were the worst threat of all of them. So I'll kill you here and now!" He jumped back and put his hand on his fallen ally and Izuku watched in horror as Overhaul's body grew two new arms that were redish-purple and hideously distorted. Overhaul came at him while distorting the ground beneath them. Izuku watched as Nighteye tried to get to safety, only to see the pro get impaled by a spike of rock.

"NO!" Izuku rushed at Overhaul, trying to land a good blow. He activated Full Cowling, only to feel an intense pain wash over him. Jumping to the side, he clenched his muscles as he felt a wave of numbness and energy flow through him. His usual green energy turned golden green and he felt stronger than he ever had. Balling up his fist, he focused his power into a single point. Turning, he punched the air and let loose a blast of wind from the force. His arm felt numb, and he winced in pain as he realized he exceeded his limit with One for All.

"_New version, more powerful. Gotta figure out the new limit, not use more than I have to. He mentioned Tomura. Why would those two work together?_" He clenched his fist and rushed at the villain again, getting in a few good hits before having to retreat when Overhaul morphed the ground into spikes.

"It's incredible really. After all the trouble he went through to save her, Eri's own power made Lemillion powerless. If none of you had gotten involved, he could've held on to that precious dream of his. And now all of you are going to die. Is this what heroes are, nothing more than sacrificial lambs led to slaughter?" Overhaul's hand formed a mouth on it's palm and began to speak.

"Someone else will die now because of you. Is that what you want, Eri?!" Izuku watched as purple waves washed over him, and moments later he heard faint footsteps.

"I... I don't... I don't want that!" Eri was shaking, and Izuku motioned to the hole in the wall.

"Eri, run! Go back to Lemillion! Get to-"

"Eri, do you believe this guy can do anything by himself in this situation? Do you think he can win?" Overhaul's voice washed over the room, and Eri stood still before saying a single word.

"... No." Izuku took in a deep breath, and began to assess the situation. Eri was too close for him to really be effective in the fight, and now she wanted to go back to her captor.

"So what should you do now?"

"... Go back... in exchange... put everyone else back the way they were!" Izuku looked on as Eri began to cry, and he felt himself boil with rage.

"You see? What hope Lemillion gave her is gone now. She knows it's better for her to be hurt than to let others suffer because of her. No matter what you say or do, she'll-"

"**SHUT THE HELL UP!**" Izuku slammed his fist into the ground, the force of the impact breaking the spikes around him into rubble. The entire compound shook, and Izuku gripped his arm in pain. He looked Overhaul dead in the eyes. "You think I care about what I lose? What I have to endure? I spent years trying to be strong enough to beat one villain. You are no different from him, from All for One. You manipulate, you scheme, you use everything and everyone you can! Which is why I'll stop you here and now, before you ever become what he was!"

"Please... go. I don't want you all to suffer." Eri muttered through her cries, and Izuku stood tall across from Overhaul, shielding the villain from her sight.

"Eri ... We're here for you. To help you, to save you. No matter what we have to sacrifice, what we suffer." Izuku turned to look at Eri. "We're not giving up, until you're safe and happy... because that's what heroes do." He turned back to Overhaul, and clenched his fist. Overhaul used his ally's quirk.

"Do you really think you can save her?"

"Yes, I do."

"Why would you risk all of this just for some girl? Some random child who doesn't even want your help?"

"Because I was like her. I was the puppet of All for One, for years I had to suffer the worst things my mind could create. But all that, being a villain, spending years away from my family... it's nothing compared to what she suffered. Which is way I'll make sure that you can never hurt her again. Until she can live a peaceful life and smile at the world around her, I'm not giving up on trying to save her." Izuku clenched his fist and let One for All flow through him at 20%.

"_His quirk is too strong. All I have is power and speed, but he can easily overcome that with his ability._"

"**_So break his spirit. The more will he has, the more fight he'll give you. So crush his will._**" Izuku shivered. He could swear he just heard Deku's voice in his head. He blocked it out, and focused back on the fight. Suddenly, something clicked for him.

"You really are an idiot, though. For trusting Tomura, for thinking the League would ever willingly stay loyal to you."

"That one sent me two of his soldiers, even if they weren't worth much. And we learned there was no plan of betrayal."

"Toga and Twice were sent here to destroy your operations. Those two, they do what they feel like. Tomura knew they'd cut and run the second they felt like it, leaving you and your men at the hands of the heroes and cops. And Tomura could pick up the pieces of whatever was left."

"You're so smart, Izuku." Toga jumped down from the ceiling and tried to slash at Overhaul. The villain dodged out of the way and Twice appeared next to Toga.

"Nice to see you again, Deku. **You're not really Deku! I'm going to kill you later!**" Twice shouted at Izuku, and then looked back to Overhaul. "But first, we want to see Overhaul here suffer." The two villains squared off against Overhaul who simply looked on at his opponents.

"Villains and heroes fighting together. How distasteful."

"Toga, Twice, you can't beat him head on. His quirk will make it impossible to get close and land a good blow."

"We don't work with you, Izuku. We worked with Deku. And you're not him." Toga scoffed and threw a knife at Overhaul, who simply destroyed it with his quirk. Twice simply stood off to the side.

"_We can't beat him, none of us. I need to get Eri out of here, but those two will die if they fight him._"

"**_So? They're villains._**" he shook his head at hearing that thought, and started to approach the situation. Toga had shape-changing and ranged attacks with knives, Twice could duplicate anything but they were less durable than the originals, and Izuku had One for All, but he couldn't go all out with it or risk getting one of his limbs broken. At that moment, an idea came to him.

"Twice, Toga! Remember "Shuffle" back at the bar?" The two looked at him, then at each other. Toga's eyes went wide with realization and she rushed over to Izuku, knife in hand. As she got closer, she flicked a finger across Izuku's leg, getting a bit of blood and licked it off her finger. Twice went over to Izuku, who then tossed a giant piece of rubble at Overhaul. Catching and destroying it, Overhaul watched as the dust settled, to reveal four Izukus standing in front of him. Each of them held a knife from Toga's supply, and they all ran forward.

"A clever trick, but it won't stop me from killing you." Overhaul reached for the first one, who simply turned into sludge after Overhaul gripped his head. Another tried to slash at him with a knife, causing him to sidestep into another's range.

"_One for All: 25%._" the real Izuku slammed his foot in the villain's back and sent him flying into the ground. As Overhaul got up, he saw another Izuku join the fight and all four of them rushed him. As he slammed his extra arms at the two closest, they turned to sludge. The other two attacked simultaneously, one punching his gut with tremendous force and the other stabbing one of his arms. Both of them got out of range, and one yelled back at the rear.

"Twice, how you doing?"

"Doing good, looking pretty okay. **Oh god, we're all gonna die!**" The man created two new Izukus and they both ran forward. The other two joined up with them and they wove and weaved around Overhaul.

"This is getting ridiculous!" Overhaul slammed his arm to the ground and sent spikes up. Two of the Izukus turned to sludge, and the other two simply held themselves between spikes. Overhaul raised his arm and the mouth of his former member appeared. "Which one of you is the real one?"

"I am!" Izuku blurted out, and Overhaul turned to him with hate filled eyes. He jumped towards Izuku, only to feel himself in extreme pain. He felt his body being ripped apart and his former member and himself were now separated. He turned to see Eri had run forward, her horn now slightly longer and glowing faintly.

"Eri... why did you do that?" Overhaul turned to her, and the young girl took a step back with tears in her eyes.

"Twice, Toga! Once more!" The two villains smiled, and two more Izukus appeared. The four of them rushed at Overhaul from each direction, and he could only grab at one of them before it turned to sludge in his hand. The other two landed a blow on his back, and the real Izuku knew if he stood a chance he had to let loose.

"_One for All: 100%. Delaware Detroit Smash!_" He landed his blow to the top of Overhaul's back and the young yakuza head fell to the ground, finally unable to fight back. A moment of quiet was broken by Izuku gripping his arm in pain, removing his glove to see the arm purple and bruised. A swirling portal formed in front of them, and Mr Compress walked out. Compress tapped both of Overhaul's arms and the young man's two limbs were turned into marbles which Compress scooped up. He turned back to the yakuza head who was now bleeding from the remainder of his limbs.

"You took one of mine. Consider this repayment for my pain and suffering." Compress turned towards the other members of the League. "What have we here? Working with the enemy?" Compress watched as Izuku turned to face him. Toga and Twice walked over to their comrade.

"They were fighting against Overhaul, not with me."

"I see. We are the lesser of two evils in this situation to you, then. We'll be taking our leave now, but make no mistake boy. Next time we see you Izuku, we will be at war with you and everyone who stands with you." Compress adjusted his hat as a swirl of black and purple appeared behind him, and he jumped through. Twice and Toga walked through the portal as well, and once they were through the form of Kurogiri appeared. He stood across from Izuku, and the young man simply took up a fighting stance, clenching his broken fist.

"... It's good to see you again, my boy." Kurogiri said to him before wrapping himself in his mist and vanishing away. Izuku fell to his knees before catching his breath and getting to his feet. He walked over to Eri and put his hand on her shoulder. She looked at him and her eyes started to tear up.

"Hey, it's okay. You're safe now." He smiled and she gripped his costume, crying and leaning into him. He put his arm around her and picked her up, holding her close. He looked back at Nighteye, who was bleeding out. Further on was Mirio, who was probably in worse shape. He ran over to Nighteye and sat Eri down.

"Sir, we'll get you out of here. Just hold on, okay?" Izuku got him clear of the spikes and made the ones still impaling him didn't fall out. He put Nighteye on his shoulder, and saw Mirio stumbling towards them. A faint yellow glow started, and Izuku saw Nighteye's wounds close up and heal. His own arm felt better, and he looked down to see it had turned back to normal. Mirio was also standing up, bruises and blood now gone. Izuku turned and saw Eri, her small horn now glowing with gold light. She looked scared, and Izuku felt a bit of pain come over him. He placed his arm on her shoulder and looked her in the eye.

"Eri. It's okay. You don't need to do anymore. It's okay." He pulled her close, and he felt her relax in his arms and the pain subsided. Izuku looked back at Mirio and Nighteye, both now standing up.

"Let's get her out of here. Midoriya, your mask." Nighteye remarked, and Izuku reached into one of his pockets. Pulling a new mask from his pouch and slipping it on, the trio walked to the surface, meeting up with several police and heroes along the way. Over the next fifteen minutes, the yakuza members were subsequently arrested and led out of the building. Izuku watched as Overhaul was strapped to a restraint slab and led away. The yakuza head looked at Izuku.

"You can't save her. She might be safe, but she'll always be a target. And she'll always remember what happened. Her quirk rewinds people, to where they can be erased completely. She has no control of it." he watched as Izuku stood between him and Eri.

"... Then I'll just have to keep saving her. In whatever way I can." Izuku glared at him, and the police shut the doors of the van. As the vehicle drove off, Izuku looked back at Eri. She was currently being held by Mirio, who simply looked at Izuku with a sad smile. Izuku turned to Gran Torino and the two got into a car and drove off.

"I should have done more." Izuku stared out the window, gazing at the sky.

"You did what you could, kid. Because of you, that girl is safe and a quirk destroying serum is off the streets. You're doing pretty good for a beginning hero." Torino drove them both home, and Izuku felt like he had achieved a hollow victory.

_**City Highway, later:**_

The police van was travelling down the road when they saw a truck in front of them open up the back. A burst of blue flame shot out and Dabi started laughing to himself.

"Now this is fun!" Dabi let loose another jet of fire and watched as the escort car went swerving away. Tomura lept forward and slammed into the van's hood, smashing through the windshield and tossing both guards out. As the vehicle swerved and slammed into the ground, he lept off as the van skidded on the pavement. He slammed his hand against the door and walked through the hole now formed by the decaying metal. He stood over Overhaul's captive body, and saw the guard unconscious with two boxes near him. Tomura picked up the blue and red boxes, and Overhaul watched in horror as he placed them in his pocket.

"One is the quirk destroyer. I'll have the doctor find out which is which. As for you..." He stood over Overhaul, undid a few buttons on the captive yakuza's shirt, and slammed his palm down onto the young man's chest. Tomura's quirk went to work and Overhaul's chest began to turn a gray cracked form. As the yakuza struggled to breathe through his decaying lungs, Tomura smiled at him.

"This is what happens when you cross the League." Tomura walked away and pulled out his cell phone. Pushing a few buttons, he waited as a portal opened up in front of him a few moments later. He walked through with the rest of the League, and Overhaul tried to cry out as his face turned to ash.

_**U.A. Conference Room, hours later:**_

"We should try to find the serum they were talking about. The quirk destroying bullets and the amplifier drugs have been missing. No doubt recovered by the League." All Might clenched his fist, and the rest of the room got uncomfortable at the thought of what the League could do with those items.

"Speaking of which, do we have any leads on them?" Eraser Head spoke up, and Midnight held up a few pieces of paper.

"They teleported away, unfortunately. And the only clue they left behind was what remains of Overhaul."

"What about the girl?" Nezu asked, and Dr Suoh spoke up.

"It seems she's alright, but with what she's gone through, it'll be quite a while before she's worked through the trauma she endured. She seems weary towards anyone who's tried to talk to her, except for Mirio and Izuku."

"And how are those two handling themselves?" Cementoss asked, and Recovery Girl spoke up.

"Izuku has come through this experience and made himself stronger, both mentally and physically. It seems the combination of Mirio's One for All plus his own has compounded into something stronger. Mirio, on the other hand, doesn't seem to have One for All... at all. The bullet he took must have destroyed the primary power his body held. Whether or not his permeation quirk will recover is another story."

"So, what do we do with the girl? It's not like we can just keep her at the school 24/7." Vlad King addressed the rest of them, and Dr Suoh spoke up.

"No, but given how she's comfortable around him and how both of them share a similar experience... perhaps, we should have her stay with Midoriya. The location is ideal, and we've already got a pro hero living there full time. Not to mention having someone older who went through similar trauma might help Eri recover faster." Dr Suoh explained, and Nezu looked around the room.

"All those in favor?" a few moments passed before the members in the room raised their hands. "Very well then. Congratulations, Torino. It seems you have a new resident."

**_Midoriya Residence, hours later:_**

Izuku walked in with Eri, who fiddled with the quirk nullification collar.

"Yeah, it takes some getting used to." Izuku told her before rubbing her head playfully. Inko saw the pair walk in and walked over to them, giving Izuku a big hug.

"Oh, my baby boy. I'm so glad you're okay." She patted his face and knelt down to get eye level with Eri. "And you must be Eri. I'm Inko, Izuku's mom. I'll be helping look after you for the time being. And this is going to be your new home."

Eri looked around at the house's interior and began to tear up. She ran forward and hugged Inko, who simply returned the gesture and patted her head.

"Don't worry. You're going to be just fine, Eri." Inko picked her up and the trio walked into the living room to sit on the couch. Izuku put his hand on Eri's shoulder, and she turned to look at him.

"I know you've been through a lot, but we'll be here to help you going forward. I was used by a villain too, made into his tool for years. But I came back from it. And we'll help you come back from what happened to you, okay?" he smiled, and Eri nodded.

**_Midoriya Residence, the following day:_**

Mirio and Izuku were training in the basement, both of them doing their best not to lose. Izuku kept having to try and limit his new power, and Mirio was still wincing slightly every time he shifted through something. Torino blew his whistle and the duo stopped, both catching their breath.

"Izuku, you need more practice with One for All. Mirio, how are you holding up?"

"Good. I've been getting better. Yesterday the pain was overwhelming. But now it just feels like when my leg falls asleep. Recovery Girl's quirk should help out some."

"Give it time, you'll recover. And Izuku, how are adjusting to One for All?"

"It's difficult. I had just gotten used to my weaker version, and now I have to keep reminding myself it's stronger now. I'm just sorry you don't have it anymore, Mirio. I thought mine could be transferred like the original, but-"

"It's okay. Truth be told, One for All was a bit much for me. All that power is hard to control on top of my own quirk. But I'm glad you have it now. All Might's legacy won't end with me, after all." Mirio smiled, and Izuku went stiff for a moment.

"**_I know your legacy, All Might, and after you die I'll make sure it ends with him!_**" All for One's voice rang through his head, and he suddenly felt like he was back in the Kamino Ward fight. His breaths became quicker, and he gripped his fists. A hand gripping his arm brought him back to reality, and he looked to see Eri standing there.

"Hey. What're you doing down here?"

"... Are you..." Eri stared at him, and Izuku could see the fear in her eyes. He took her hand in his and knelt down to be eye level with her.

"I'm okay. It's just... sometimes the past comes back to haunt me. I see what happened back then and feel like I'm back there. But I always come out of it." He gave her a soft hug, and ruffled her hair. "I'll always be stronger than what I faced. And you can be too."

The doorbell rang, and Izuku stood up and held his hand out for Eri. She took it and the two walked upstairs to see Inko open the door for a woman in a white coat. The two greeted each other before the woman walked over to Eri. Eri gripped Izuku's hand tight, and he squeezed hers as she ducked behind him.

"It's okay. She's the one who helps me with what I went through. You can trust her." he smiled at her, and Eri came out to face the woman.

"Hello Eri. I'm Dr Suoh. I'd like to talk to you." She knelt down to be eye level with Eri, and Izuku watched as the two began to talk.

**_League of Villains Hideout, later:_**

Kurogiri walked over to Tomura and bowed slightly.

"Tomura, I've found him. Simply give the word and I'll bring him here."

"Excellent work, Kurogiri. Let's wait a few minutes before warping him here. I want to see what the doctor has to say." Tomura walked over to the doctor, who was looking over the samples he brought him. The red and blue boxes were both open, and a bullet from each had been taken apart for examination.

"The blue ones seem to be an amplification serum. The red ones seem to be the quirk destroyers. However, I doubt I can make more. These have human blood and tissue in them. Not exactly something that can be easily reproduced."

"... the girl. He was using her to make them." Tomura growled, and started scratching at his neck. He had let the crux of the serums slip through his fingers. And now she was in the hands of the heroes. "Can you do anything with them?"

"Well, I could try to make synthetic versions, but that'll take me a lot of time. Time we may not have if the heroes find us." The doctor jotted down some notes, and Tomura simply chuckled.

"Don't worry. For now, I'm focusing on adding new numbers to our ranks. I'll quiet down all the noise, just long enough for us to get ready to strike. Oh, and make sure our new pet is done sometime soon." Tomura smiled, and twirled around Deku's old knife. What he had planned was going to break the heroes, once and for all. He nodded to Kurogiri and watched as a giant portal formed in the fortress they had made they new base.

* * *

**_Sorry this one took me so long to do. I was on vacation for my brother's wedding, so I had all of that going on with a lot of other personal stuff. Also, this arc was really tricky for me to handle. I didn't want to go too far from the source material, but I also had to choose what to keep and remove for the AU. I hoped you guys liked it, and I'll try to have the next chapter out soon. The next few chapters will be shorter to do, since I'm making them more of my AU than sticking to the established story. As always, hope you enjoy, and thanks for reading._**


	12. Heroes Rise and Fall

**_League of Villains Hideout, a week or so later:_**

The League was still getting used to the newest addition, who towered over everyone else. The giant was slightly taller than the fortress' ceiling, and this lead to some difficulty navigating the area. He was also very much an individual who saw strength as the one thing that mattered.

"So, how would you like to help us crush the heroes?" Tomura looked up at the man, who simply stared and growled at the boy in front of him.

"**Why did All for One choose you as his successor? You are just a boy.**" Tomura heard one of the new recruits snicker at that, and walked over to the man.

"I may just be a boy..." he grabbed the new recruit's face and gripped tight, turning the man's body to ash. The giant watched on in shock as the new recruit fell to the ground as a pile of ashes. "But I don't anyone define me but me. You want to stay in one piece? Then don't get out of line."

"**... Master made a good choice after all.**" the giant bowed his head, and the new recruits all looked at Tomura with a new found respect.

**_Midoriya Residence, a few weeks later:_**

Izuku was finishing up his session with Dr Suoh when the pair of them heard the doorbell. Getting up, Izuku walked out into the living room area and saw Torino open up the door. Standing there was Bakugo in a simple shirt and cargo pants. Izuku took in a quick breath and walked to the door. Torino watched as the two got closer, ready to intervene if needed.

"Wha- how di-"

"All Might told me you lived here." Bakugo blurted out, and Izuku simply shifted his eyes from Bakugo to Torino and back again.

"Soooooo... What's up?"

"Uh... some of the class and I are going to the mall. And I wanted to know if maybe, you wanted to come with us?" Bakugo tapped his foot on the ground, and Izuku looked back inside and then back to Bakugo.

"... I don't think that I'm ready to be around them yet."

"Go." Izuku looked down and saw Torino pointing out the door with his cane. "You want to make amends with people you hurt, right? You can't do that if you never actually meet them. So go, and have some fun while you're out. About time you actually went and did something besides train." he griped as he nudged Izuku forward.

"But, the staff and the heroes mig-"

"I'll smooth things over with them. Now get!" Izuku was shoved out and simply stood still before blinking a few times and rubbing his head.

"So, should we-"

"Oh, yeah. Let's get going." the duo began walking away and Izuku stopped suddenly.

"Wait, I don't have my wallet. Or phone. Or... anything else I need, really. Give me five minutes." Izuku rushed back inside and Bakugo pulled out his phone.

**He'll be a few minutes.**

_Alright. See you guys then. - K. _Bakugo waited for about three minutes before the door opened again and Izuku walked out in more casual clothes.

"Okay. Let's get going." Bakugo nodded in response and the two walked off to the street.

_**Mall, twenty minutes later:**_

Izuku and Bakugo walked over to a group of people that were waiting at the mall's layout map.

"Bakugo! Over here!" Kirishima ushered them over. Once they got there, Kirishima grabbed and shook Izuku's hand. "Nice to meet you again. I'm Kirishima, this is Jiro, Kaminari, Todoroki, Ashido, Hagakure, Yaoyorozu and Uraraka." Kirishima pointed out all of the people there and Izuku nodded his head.

"It's nice to meet you all. And I'd just like to say I'm sorry for everything the League did to you all. Everything I helped them with." Izuku rubbed his shoulder and looked down. He felt a firm hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Todoroki looking at him.

"We've been told the full story. Bakugo filled us in on what happened." Izuku looked over at Bakugo, who seemed sadder now. Izuku playfully smacked him on the arm and smiled at him.

"Thanks." He turned back to the group. "But I'm pretty sure he didn't tell you the whole story. If any of you have questions, I'd be happy to fill you in."

"Later." Bakugo blurted out. "For right now, let's just have some fun. Been forever since we've been out of the dorms." At this, everyone else pretty much muttered something in agreement and all of them decided on what they wanted to do. Most of the girls went off to the clothes stores, while some of the guys went to an arcade. Kirishima, Todoroki, Yaoyorozu and Midoriya were all walking through the mall trying to find something interesting, when something made Izuku stop in his tracks. Turning to the right, he saw a display mannequin of a black formal outfit with a simple red tie. In the reflection of the glass, he could see the image of Deku. A hand on his shoulder brought him back to reality and he saw Yaoyorozu looking at him.

"You okay?"

"... Yeah. Just... getting lost in the past." He looked back at the mannequin and ran a hand through his hair. "... Is there a salon here?"

_**A half hour later:**_

Izuku and Yaoyorozu walked out of the hair stylist, Izuku still rubbing his hair. He had it shortened on the top and shaven almost completely on the sides. He smiled at the change, and Yaoyorozu rubbed her hand through it.

"It's so fuzzy now. What made you decide to go with this?"

"I just looked at the chart they had and went with one. But I like it... It makes me feel more like me." he smiled, and the two saw the rest of the group at the food court entrance. As they met up, several people commented on Izuku's hair, loving the new style. They all decided on a restaurant to eat at and sat down at one of the tables.

"So Izuku, if you feel comfortable with it... what was it like being with the League?" Uraraka asked, and Izuku thought for a moment before leaning back in his seat.

"It was... complicated. I was under the influence of a quirk called Dark Mind. It essentially split my mind into two personalities, and the most dominant one was formed out of my worst thoughts and emotions. That was Deku, everything about me that was dark, hateful, wrong. And I was still there, but it was like I was a prisoner. I could see and hear everything, but it was like I was looking through a giant window. I had no control over my actions or words, but I could still hear and see all of them." He took a deep breath and rubbed his head.

"As for the actual League... it's weird. I know they're villains, I know they're criminals... but a small part of me sees them as old friends. They were friends to Deku, and even though I hated being around them... they still seem like regular people to me at times. Tomura and Kurogiri even more so. Tomura was practically the brother I never had, always looking out for me in training and hanging out with me most of the time. And Kurogiri was almost a second mother to me, with how he helped raise me into a young man. But All for One... I never saw him as anything more than what he was. A monster, a manipulator, the Symbol of Evil."

There was a tension in the air before he spoke again. "Deku was the worst part of me, but he was still me. All my hate, my disdain, my aggression, all of him came from me. That's why I say that what he did, I did. Because at his core, at the base level of it all... both of us were part of the other." He sat back in his chair and just stared at the table.

"How did you survive all of that?" He looked up to see Ashido looking at him. "How did you come back from it?"

"... I'm still coming back from it all. I'm still recovering from all of it. But I'm focusing on improving my future, and I'm using that ideal to shape my present." He smiled to himself and chuckled. "The past will always be a part of me, but it won't always define me."

"... Well said." Kirishima spoke up, and the waitress came by with their food. As they all began to dig in, Kaminari turned to Izuku.

"So, what're the rest of the League like? Personality wise?"

"Well... Dabi is kind of a laid back kind of guy, until there's something for him to do. Toga is a total wild card, but she sleeps like a cat. Curls up into a ball anywhere she can, it's adorable. Twice is completely unpredictable, what with his whole dissociative identity disorder, but overall an interesting person. Spinner is a total Stain fanboy, he has no mind to think for himself. Compress is kind of like a performer, always giving a big show to everything. Magne was a bit like Toga, not wanting to be controlled by anyone, but she was also a very good thinker."

"What about Tomura, what's his deal with hands?" Jiro asked.

"And Kurogiri, what's he like?" Hagakure pointed her fork at Izuku.

"Tomura... is complicated. He was like me, found by All for One and raised to become a new leader of the villains. But he chose to follow that life. As for his hand fixation, he was told by All for One that he was to be his master's hand. He would lead the League to glory. Kurogiri was a bit more like a servant when he was in All for One's presence. But when it was just us three or the League, he was more like a disappointed parent. I'm not kidding when I said he was like a second mother, he literally was."

"Oh my god, Kurogiri was the mom friend." Kaminari laughed to himself and Izuku simply smiled at that. The rest of the day passed by with all of them having fun and enjoying themselves. As they all went their separate ways at the end of the day, everyone shook Izuku's hand.

"It was great to meet you all."

"Same. I know you still see yourself as a former villain, but honestly all I can see is a normal guy." Kirishima slapped him on the shoulder, and Izuku smiled.

"Thanks. Hopefully I'll see you guys again sometime." he waved and walked off back home. As he walked off, Bakugo pulled out his phone.

_Went just as planned, doc._

**That's good to hear. I was honestly surprised when you suggested this, Bakugo. But I'm glad it worked out. Was it what he needed?**

_It was exactly what he needed._ He put his phone away and walked with the rest of his class mates.

_**Midoriya Residence, a little while later:**_

"I'm home." Izuku called out, and Inko came out to the front door.

"Hi, baby. We're- you got your hair cut." she walked over to him and put her hand on his cheek.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry. I felt like I needed a change."

"... It's nice." Inko rubbed her hand through his hair and hugged him. Izuku returned the hug and the two of them went to the kitchen where Eri was sitting on one of the island stools.

"You got it cut."

"Yeah. You like it?" Izuku picked her up and Eri looked at him before grabbing her own ponytail.

"... Can I get mine cut?" Izuku looked at Inko, who simply nodded.

"Sure. But let's do that tomorrow."

**_League of Villains Hideout, a week or so later:_**

"_The spot where All Might defeated the villain known as All for One is now a place of celebration. As the All Might statue was unveiled earlier today at what is now being called "Ground Zero" for the fight between the two powerhouses, citizens everywhere are showing their admiration for the former pro hero. Endeavor himself came to the unveiling, saying-_" Tomura flicked off the radio and walked over to the doctor, busy at his work station. The table was cluttered with medical equipment and chemical tools. The red box was open, and a bullet was missing from it.

"How's it going so far? Can we make more?"

"Truth be told, I doubt these can ever be replicated. Even trying to synthesize one of them would be impossible without samples from the human they came from. As far as I can tell, the serum is largely DNA based. Meaning without that girl-"

"We're left with nothing. But these." Tomura held up the box and stared at the three remaining bullets. He closed the lid and put the box in the doctor's hands. "For now, just get to work on our plan for master. He'll be glad when that's finished."

_**Midoriya Residence, a few days later:**_

Eri and Izuku were watching TV when the doorbell rang. Izuku jumped up and answered, to see All Might and principal Nezu.

"Good afternoon, sirs. What can I do for you?"

"We wished to speak with you all." Nezu responded as the pair of them walked in. Izuku went and got Torino as well as his mother, and all five of them met in the dining room. Nezu stood up straight in order to be seen clearly, and All Might relaxed in his chair.

"Toshinori, it's time, isn't it?" Torino asked bluntly, and All Might simply nodded in response.

"Time for what?" Inko interjected and Nezu looked at her.

"We've been training Izuku for two reasons. Firstly, so he can become an effective user of One for All, should the need ever arise. Secondly, so that he can properly become a hero. One that will complete his training at U.A. High." Nezu smiled at Inko before turning to Izuku. "If you want, we can put you in the hero course after the winter break. One of our students dropped out, so we can fit you right into their old spot."

"... I- ... I'm... One second." Izuku got up, walked five steps away and promptly fainted. Inko ran over to him, and tried to shake him awake. Izuku slowly raised his hand in a thumbs up.

"... Well... he took it better than I thought he would." Nezu looked at All Might, and back at the now smiling Izuku.

**_Class 1-A Dorms, a few weeks later:_**

Izuku took a deep breath and gripped his suitcase strap tight. Torino had accompanied him and the old pro knocked on the door. A young man with a tail answered the door.

"Oh, hey. Izuku, right? I'm Ojiro, come on in. We'll get you squared away." he opened the door wider for Izuku and Torino who simply walked inside. Upon going in, they were greeted by a few more people in the common room area. Going to the stairway, the two made their way to Izuku's new room. Placing his stuff inside, Izuku took everything in before shaking Torino's hand.

"Thank you. For everything you've done for me."

"I did what I needed to, kid. And you, you've got a long road ahead of you. You sure you're up for all this?" Torino leaned on his cane, and Izuku looked around the room before smiling.

"Yeah... I think I'll be fine."

"That's good to hear. Take care of yourself, kid." Torino shook Izuku's hand and walked out. Izuku took a deep breath and began unpacking his belongings. Clothes were hung up in the closet, posters got put on the walls and his books were shelved neatly into the bookshelf. He set a photo of himself, his mom and Eri on the nightstand and hoped they were doing okay without him. A knock on the door grabbed his attention, and he opened it to see Bakugo standing there.

"Hey, we're all pitching in for dinner. You wanna help?"

"Oh, sure." And the two walked down to the kitchen where several people were trying their best not to burn down the whole room. "... Is it always like this?"

"Only when Kirishima tries to cook." Bakugo grabbed a cutting board and entered the fray, whacking Kaminari on the head for trying to blow out a burning pan.

"This might take some getting used to." Izuku sighed as he watched the chaos unfold.

**_The following morning:_**

Izuku woke up to his alarm and shut it off. Stretching his arms, he climbed out of bed and walked over to his closet. He stared at the school uniform for a few moments before taking it off the hangers.

"Today's the day." he smiled to himself as he put on the shirt and pants. As he folded his collar up, he tied his tie perfectly as if it were second nature to him. As he put his collar down, he looked in the mirror and paused for a moment. His tie was perfect, just like he had done it for years. It was just muscle memory for him at this point. As he held it, he got an idea. Untying it, he spent about two minutes remaking it into a boxy short looking tie. He took a deep breath, and took in the image he saw in the mirror.

"Yeah... this feels more like me." he put on his jacket and grabbed his supplies. Walking out of his dorm, he saw Kirishima just ahead of him.

"Morning, man. Interesting tie."

"Thanks. I did it myself." the two rushed to get downstairs and met up with a few others. Making their way, they all came to the school grounds where Izuku's pace slowed down. He was taking it all in, the moment of finally being here. He was here before for the League, yes, but now he was a student. He was going to be trained as a hero, in the place his hero had been taught and now teaches at. A strong arm went around his shoulder and he was lifted into the air. As he screamed out in shock, he saw Mirio's face under him.

"Oh, Mirio. How are you?"

"I'm doing perfectly!" Mirio beamed at him and put him down. "My quirk's back to how it once was, and I'm feeling better than ever knowing you're finally here."

"Wait, you two know each other?" Mirio and Izuku looked to see a few students looking at them. Kirishima had a puzzled look on his face, and Izuku rubbed his head.

"Yeah, he helped me out with my rehabilitation program. We've trained with each other dozens of times, and he almost never wins."

"... We've trained 47 times, and I've won 22 times I recall."

"So, that's 23 wins for me. And the two ties." Both of them had a look of horror on their faces, remembering all the laps they had to run after those two.

"Wow! That I have to see sometime." Kirishima smiled at the duo. "If you two are that matched, the League of Villains won't stand a chance against us!" He walked to the school building and Izuku and Mirio looked at each other in concern.

"Would they?" Mirio asked, and Izuku thought it over for a moment.

"... I don't know. But I hope not." he clenched his fists momentarily and walked inside, with a smile on his face and determination in his heart.

**_Nature Park near U.A. a few weeks later:_**

All Might had brought Class 1-A outdoors to get their fighting skills up to speed. Several pros were taking on the role of villains and the students were left to fight in a densely wooded area. All Might kept an eye on all of them, taking notes and shouting out words of advice. Izuku was currently dodging attacks from Cementoss while Kirishima backed him up. His new hero outfit had been modified to help him have more of a blow when he landed a punch or kick, and he was grateful for it facing the cement pro.

"Kiri, on the left!" Izuku shouted out, and Kirishima jumped to the side to dodge the attack. As the day went on, Izuku felt a sense of calm. Maybe these guys would be okay after all. When he stopped to catch his breath, he saw a swirl of purple and black at the path near the exit. He gripped his fist and stood in front of the portal about twenty feet away. The teachers all gathered in front of him, and Izuku watched as the League all walked through. Toga smiled at him, Compress simply tipped his hat to the crowd and Tomura smiled with his creepy grin. Several other new faces were around them, and Izuku got himself ready for a fight.

"Well, well. Looks like we found our targets after all." Tomura laughed and Izuku noticed something. The portal wasn't going away, and Kurogiri wasn't here yet. Why hadn't he shown up?

"Before we get started, I'd like to show you who I found." Tomura smiled as the portal grew larger and larger, going over the trees. A large arm appeared, and moments later a humongous man stepped out wearing a set of simple clothes and armor over his shoulders. His hair was spiked, and his chin seemed to be made out of rock. As he looked down on the group of people, the gigantic man smiled with pointed fangs.

"Meet our new member, Gigantomachia." Tomura smiled as the gigantic man began charging at the group of pros and students. A single punch on the ground sent most of them flying away from each other, and Izuku jumped back. As he got a steady position, he saw the League all disperse to take on different opponents. Tomura simply stood where he was, and the portal behind him disappeared. Izuku leaped at him, and tried to land a kick. Tomura simply jumped to the side and grabbed at Izuku's shoe reinforcement. As Izuku stepped back, he felt the iron soles decaying and his feet were now unbalanced on the flat ground. He looked at Tomura, who simply held his ground.

"So, what do you call yourself now? Being a hero and all."

"... Deku."

"You didn't change then, did you?"

"Oh, I did. But I refuse to let my past control me anymore. From now on, Deku is the name of a hero. One that can stop anything, including you." Izuku rushed forward and Tomura swiped his arm at him. Narrowly missing his grip, Izuku landed a blow on his chest. As Tomura was slammed back, he rushed away from Izuku and towards the chaos of the rest of the class. Pulling out a gun, Izuku's eyes widened. He rushed forward and watched as Tomura took aim and fired. As the bullet went through the air, Izuku watched as it landed in Eraser Head's arm.

"NO!" Izuku rushed forward and slammed his fist into Tomura's back, throwing him to the ground several feet away. The gun skittered across the ground as Tomura struggled to get up. Izuku looked over to see Eraser pull a bullet from his arm and wince in pain before turning his attention back to Tomura. The villain had rushed Izuku, who dodged to evade Tomura's grip. Izuku's arm pulled back and as he went for a punch, Tomura swept with his other arm. Putting his gloved hand forward, Izuku managed to keep his face safe while sacrificing his glove. Izuku jumped back a few feet and looked around. Several students and teachers were fighting the League, and the giant creature was still rampaging. Izuku saw the gun on the ground and weighed his options.

"_With Aizawa quirkless now, we've lost a huge advantage. Either I take Tomura out, or have someone handle him while I tackle the larger threat. The rest will be able to hold their own, especially with the teachers here._" Izuku thought for a moment before rushing off. He snagged the gun from the pavement and rushed through the chaos. Passing by the pro Snipe, he tossed him the gun.

"Aim for Tomura! I'll handle this one." Izuku rushed forward and activated Full Cowling at 35%, landing a blow on the giant's leg. The two of them began to fight, and Snipe took aim at Tomura. Once he had a shot, he fired, watching the villain grab his shoulder shortly after.

"Ahh! Son of a bitch!" Tomura hissed as he pulled the bullet out, and wandered towards the rest of them while an immense pain washed over him. "Toga, Deku's knife! Give it!" Toga smiled and tossed Tomura the blade, and Tomura rushed over to where All Might was standing. Midnight was standing between them, but Tomura watched as a piece of debris from the fight knocked her on the head. As she struggled to stay up, Tomura kicked her in the face. As Midnight fell to the ground, All Might watched as Tomura grabbed him by the shirt. Behind them, Izuku managed to land a powerful blow to the giant's face, causing the creature to fall to the ground.

"You're not going to be what he was. You're just his puppet." All Might stared down Tomura as the villain gripped Deku's old knife and stabbed the former hero right in his old injury. As All Might coughed up blood, Tomura smiled at him.

"I'm nothing like him. And that's just fine with me." Tomura twisted the knife to the left, then the right. As All Might groaned in pain, Tomura slashed the blade out of All Might's body and watched as the blood spurted out from the open wound. All Might fell to the ground and Izuku's eyes went wide in shock. He launched himself at Tomura, slamming into the ground next to him. As the shock waves hit, Tomura fell back and slammed into a wall. As Tomura fell to the ground, Izuku ran over and placed a foot on Tomura's back.

"Stand. Down." he growled through gritted teeth, and Tomura simply put his hands on his head. As Izuku watched, the rest of the League was being taken down. Most were now either in cuffs or surrendering. Eraser Head and Cementoss came over and got Tomura under control and saw to All Might's and Midnight's injuries.

_**Minutes later:**_

"Izuku, you did good work. Taking down Gigantomachia and Tomura seemed to break the League's spirits. All of them are in custody." Eraser Head patted him on the back.

"Except Kurogiri. He never showed. Why? Why did he not fight?"

"We'll figure that out later. For now, go back to the dorms. You've earned a break."

"I'm sorry I wasn't faster. You might still have your quirk if I had been quicker."

"It's not your fault. Besides, we're looking into ways to fix that."

"Eraser... will All Might be okay?"

"... We're not sure. His injuries were severe, but we'll have the best people helping him."

**_Hospital Surgical Center:_**

"Move, move, move!" The doctors rushed into the operating room and got into their spots. All of them were determined beyond anything to save the man on the gurney. They lifted him onto the surgical table and donned their garb.

"Doctor... in my pocket." All Might struggled to get out, and the woman reached into his pant pocket to pull out an envelope. "That's for Izuku Midoriya. If I-"

"Don't. You'll get to deliver it to him yourself." She turned to a nurse who then placed a breathing mask over All Might's face. As Toshinori took more breaths, he dozed off. The doctors went to work.

"All right people, do your damn best. We can NOT let this man die on our table."

**_U.A. Dorms:_**

Everyone was sitting and watching the news feed of the fight earlier. Izuku saw himself on screen take down the giant with a single punch. The screen then shifted to show the two anchors.

"_This attack by the League of Villains has left the public shaken, but we have confirmed that most of them are in custody. The only one to escape apprehension was the villain known as Kurogiri, who is said to have a warp gate quirk. Citizens are advised to alert authorities if they encounter this individual. U.A. officials are saying that the young man known as Izuku Midoriya was key in turning the tide during the encounter. Several students and teachers were injured, but only All Might and Eraser Head have suffered major injuries, and thankfully there were no causalities._"

"With Kurogiri loose, who knows what could happen." Izuku rubbed his neck and sighed deeply. "And now we've got a new problem. If Kurogiri manages to get more people, if he manages to build the League back up-"

"He can't. You said it yourself, Tomura was the face of the League. With him and All for One locked away, nobody is gonna join the League." Bakugo blurted out while keeping his eyes on the screen.

"Yeah, we won. What's the worst that can happen now?" Kaminari smiled, and all of them watched as the screen changed to one of the anchors.

"_This just in..._" the news anchor slowed down, just staring blankly at the screen. "_... Despite the best efforts of the surgeons involved, Toshinori Yagi, the former pro hero known as All Might has died due to complications from his injuries._" Everyone reacted differently to this. Some gasped in shock and started crying, some clenched their fists in anger, some merely sat in shocked silence. Moments later, their phones chimed with a text alert. All of them looked at their screens to see three words across the various news alerts they got: **_All Might: dead._**

"_It is believed that the damage sustained was due to the new leader of the League of Villains, Tomura Shigaraki, who is currently imprisoned at Tartarus High Security Prison. Toshinori Yagi has no surviving family members, and no next of kin. His closest friends and family are Dr David Shield as well as the students and facility of U.A. High School._"

Izuku got up and walked out the door, activating Full Cowling. He just started running, further and further into the distance, with the words from the news report echoing louder and louder with each step he took. Eventually, his foot caught on a tree root, and he tumbled forward into the dirt. Getting up and looking around, he saw he had managed to make it to the woods at the rear area of U.A. He let out a loud yell of anger and slammed his fist into the ground, breaking the soil beneath him.

"**_Well, you've certainly had better days._**" Izuku looked up to see himself in a black vest and red tie, glowing red eyes string down at him.

"... You're not real. You're not here."

"**_Of course not. I'm just here to guide you back to what you need to be._**"

"You're not in my head anymore."

"**_... Really? I may not be a split persona, but I was you. Your darkest thoughts and emotions, all rolled into one. I'm not leaving until you admit it._**"

"Admit what?"

"**_That you failed. As a hero. Mirio lost One for All because you weren't there to help him. Nighteye was almost killed because you weren't fast enough. Eraser doesn't have his quirk anymore because you didn't get to him in time. And now All Might is dead because you failed to stop someone you should have. You know Tomura, you know what he's like. So why didn't you stop him in time?_**"

"You're lying. I did-"

"**_Everything you could, right? But it wasn't enough. You tried, Izuku. You really did. You can fight the League, you can fight Tomura, but not who you are. You can fight the villains so well because you know how they think. You can take them down easily because that's how I used to do it. The heroes, they don't trust you. They see you as a kid waiting to crack from the pressure and switch sides again. You're a threat to them, to your class, to everyone. But not the villains. They'll see you as their new leader, if you let them._**"

"... shut up." Izuku gripped his fists, and turned his head away.

"**_You know I'm right. You'll never be one of the heroes. Not fully, not the way they need you to be. So why not just... embrace it?_**" Deku held out his hand towards Izuku, who simply met his gaze. Izuku stared down at the ground again, and heard someone come up behind him.

"Izuku!" Katsuki had caught up to him. "Listen, I know that- I... I don't know what to say, actually."

"Than don't. It was my fault." Izuku stared up at Deku, and got to his feet. "I wasn't enough of a hero."

"Bullshit! Those bastards pulled a dirty fucking trick, and you know it! They saw a shot, and they took it because they knew we'd be stretched too thin. They took him to break us, our spirits. But I won't let them!" Bakugo watched as Izuku clenched his fist and stared off in the distance.

"... I refuse." Izuku looked at Deku, who simply smirked at him. "I refuse to let you win. Ever." He swiped his arm through Deku's face, and the villain simply turned into black smoke. Katsuki came up and put his hand on Izuku's shoulder.

"All Might once said that a villain's real power is to crush a hero's will to fight. I won't let that happen to me, or you. All Might didn't give up thinking you could be a great hero. And I won't either." The two hugged and Izuku walked back to the dorms to find someone waiting at the door. She was dressed in a doctor's lab coat, and as the duo approached, she walked towards them.

"Izuku Midoriya?"

"Yes?"

"... I was... I'm sorry I couldn't save him." she began to tear up and Izuku realized she was one of the surgeons. He went forward and gave her a brief hug.

"You did what you could."

"... Thank you... This is for you." She handed him an envelope with his name on it. He took it and felt something heavy inside. "He wanted you to have it."

"... Thank you." As he walked inside, Bakugo nodded to the doctor. Walking inside, Izuku tore open the envelope to see a small electronic disk.

"That's a hologram projector. They used those to give us our entrance exam results." Bakugo looked at the device and Izuku held it in his hand. He walked over to the couch and placed it on the table in front of him.

"Maybe we should-" Uraraka started before Izuku turned to her.

"No. You all deserve to hear whatever it is... I trust all of you." He pushed the top of the device and a hologram of All Might in his deflated state popped up.

"_Young Midoriya. I know you've been going through a lot and I wanted to talk to you about your goal. You once told me you wanted to be a hero like me, that that ideal was what drove you. To be someone who can protect the innocent and ensure they can live peaceful lives. And while that is a great ideal, I have some words of advice. Don't do it the way I did. To become the Symbol of Peace, I cast aside many things. My former sidekick, my friends, my own social life even. I saw a goal and I ran to it, a bright light that would serve as a comfort or a warning. But that isn't what I want for you. Please, don't make yourself the only pillar this world needs to stay together with. Find people who will be pillars alongside you, be more than just a symbol. Be someone that can save whoever they can, and make sure others are there to save you if you need it. Well, I gotta get going. I'm heading out to see an old friend tomorrow, and I need to get to the training session. Remember, young Midoriya, the power you have is one that all people will need to protect them. So go beyond. Plus ultra!_" As the device shut off, Izuku was in tears and he felt an arm come around his shoulder. Uraraka pulled him close and he held onto her for a while. Pulling away, he looked down at his phone. He dialed his home and waited.

"_Izuku? I just heard. Are you-_" Inko blurted out into the phone and Izuku rubbed the back of his head.

"I'm fine. But I'd like to see you."

**_Tartarus Prison, later:_**

All for One watched as his cell opened and a very distraught looking Eraser Head walked in. The hero's eyes were red and his hands were shaking. All for One simply smiled, and Eraser Head gripped his fists at the gesture.

"He's gone, isn't he?... Who managed to do it?" All for One's voice was full of joy, and Eraser Head simply took in a few deep breaths before speaking.

"Tomura. But he's in custody, and his quirk's been permanently erased. All of them are in custody, except for Kurogiri. But I doubt anyone will follow a glorified butler. Your League failed. It's over." He turned away, and stopped suddenly when he heard the villain laughing behind him. Turning around, he saw the same simple smile on the Symbol of Evil's face.

"No." All for One leaned back in his restraints. "We've dealt our blow. And now, comes the end." As he finished talking, the lights went out. Emergency lights glowed red, and a burst of fire and rubble came from behind the villain.

"_Come on! Eight seconds, let's go!_" Eraser Head watched through the containment glass as a group of people grabbed the villain and took him out through a newly blasted hole in the back wall. Eraser Head pounded on the glass and watched as the lights came back on, and the glass raised up. The pro rushed forward to see a portal closing on the ground behind the blasted wall. Running out into the hall, he grabbed a guard by the collar.

"GET ME TO U.A. HIGH! NOW!"

**_All for One's hideout:_**

The group warped through, and All for One was stood upright as his team of rescuers undid his restraints. His doctor walked over and gave the Symbol of Evil his new life support mask. All for One breathed heavily before cracking his knuckles, turning to his doctor.

"Thank you, my friend."

"It wasn't easy planning this. The jailbreak was the hardest part, multiple agents will be exposed to the police and we probably won't get another chance like that. In any case, I have a few things for you." The doctor walked over to his workbench with his master behind him. "A few upgrades to your arsenal."

"I'm intrigued already." All for One saw the doctor hold up a plain black suit.

"Looks like your old one, but this is made out of shock absorbent material. Won't take the full force off you, but it'll lessen the impact. Your mask has also been upgraded with a communicator tied directly to me as well as a radio scrambler so the heroes can't effectively communicate. And finally, there's this." The doctor held up a small red box, and inside was a single red bullet.

"Quirk erasing bullet. Made by the Shie Hassaikai, and retrieved by Tomura. They seem to permanently remove a person's quirk. The Hassaikai head tested it on the boy called Mirio, and while he still has his permeation quirk, he seems less stronger than he used to be. My guess is the serum works against the most dominant power in a subject first." The doctor rambled on as All for One smiled under his mask.

"Meaning the only one with One for All now... is Izuku. Thank you for your dedication, my friend." All for One closed the bullet box and looked back to his rescuers. His fingers produced red and black tendrils, and the thugs fell to the ground in pain. All for One smiled as he felt the power flow through him. Kurogiri walked up to him and knelt down.

"My master, what do we do know?"

"I'm afraid your purpose has been fulfilled, Kurogiri. I created you to watch over Tomura until he achieved his goals. That goal has been reached, and thus you are no longer needed." All for One used his quirk on Kurogiri, who went rigid and fell to the ground after the deed was done. All for One walked over to the hideout's entrance and opened the door to see the night sky over a mountain side in Japan.

"Now, we make the final move."

**_U.A. Conference Room, minutes later:_**

_"All for One has escaped-" **Click.**_

_"The so called Symbol of Evil has broken out-" **Click.**_

_"Tartarus staff has arrested no less than ten people who were responsible for sabotaging the prison's defenses-" **Click.**_

_"No telling what will happen, now that this personification of evil has been freed." **Click. **_The teachers, pros and police all gathered around, trying to come up with a viable strategy.

"He's going to be planning something big! We need to find him!" Eraser Head pounded his fist on the table.

"We're actively searching, but with the man's resources and his ally Kurogiri, we're having a hard time." Nezu responded.

"What we need to do is-" Midnight was cut off as the door swung open and Izuku stepped inside wearing his hero outfit.

"Izuku, we're-"

"I know how to draw him out." The rest of the room fell silent as he walked forward. "He wants to end All Might's legacy, to destroy One for All. So I'll give him the chance to." Everyone in the room looked at each other, and finally principal Nezu spoke up.

"... How?"

**_Villain Bar, later:_**

Giran was walking away from the evening's celebration. Villains everywhere were cheering for the League's victory. All Might was dead, and now the Symbol of Evil had returned. Giran lit a cigarette and walked with a smile on his face, until a hand grabbed him from the alleyway. Giran cried out as he was lifted off the ground and slammed against a wall. He looked down to see a green haired young man looking at him with anger in his eyes.

"Kid?! Hey, long time, no se-" Izuku slammed his fist into the wall next to Giran.

"Find All for One or someone who talks to him. Tell him if he wants to end All Might's legacy, I'll be at the memorial site tomorrow at ten A.M." Giran nodded and ran off. Izuku simply walked away, hopeful that his plan would work. Because if it didn't, everything was over.

* * *

_**Hey guys, author here! Sorry this took me a while, and sorry if certain parts are a little rushed. I've been struggling with some stuff, and feeling overwhelmed by a lot of things. In any case, the last two chapters I hope to have out some time this month, so look forward to that. Until then, hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading!**_


	13. One Last Fight

**_All Might Memorial, Kamino Ward:_**

Izuku walked over to the statue and stood in front of it. As he looked into the eyes of his hero, he gripped his fists. This was it, the day he finally helped All Might's dream become reality. Several pros were setting up barriers, and pushing people away from the statue. Police were helping to control the crowds when a purple and black portal opened up near the statue. As the public began freaking out, Izuku simply clenched his fists and activated Full Cowling at 35%. As he got his stance ready, the form of All for One appeared and hovered above the ground.

"A fitting battle ground. Where All Might defeated me, now I will deal the final blow to his legacy and the age of heroes. Although it's a bit pathetic that YOU'RE the only one capable of stopping me, the only one the public can accurately rely on."

"I'm all that's needed for this."

"And yet you still came here with help." All for One looked around at Cementoss, Endeavor, Midnight and the other pros.

"They're here to ensure public safety. This fight, this is between just you and me."

"... Very well, my boy." All for One reached into his suit and pulled out a simple black gun.

"Those aren't your style."

"No, but these are." All for One revealed a red box, and Izuku's eyes went wide. As he jumped towards All for One, the villain created a whirlwind around him. As the winds picked up, All for One loaded a bullet in and dropped the winds. He scanned around, trying to decide who to use it on.

"So many choices. Perhaps the dominatrix hero. Or the new number one hero, after earning that title so meagerly. Or..." He pointed the gun at Izuku, and fired. As Izuku watched, he put more power into Full Cowling and shot forward, kicking into the air. As a burst of wind shot forward, the bullet barely slipped past Izuku's shoe and got caught in the updraft, disappearing into the sky. As Izuku landed, Endeavor saw red tendrils impale themselves in Izuku's back. Red lines spread across Izuku as pain radiated through his body.

"Let's make you whole again, my boy." All for One smiled under his mask, the tendrils retreating and the pros watched as Izuku looked at them with red eyes.

"**Did you miss me?**" Deku smiled and clenched his fist, ready to attack the pros. He rushed forward, pulling his arm back, and stopped about halfway. Inside Izuku's mind, Deku walked around the black smoke and looked at Izuku.

"**_It's good to be back. But now, I'll make sure you're not a problem anymore._**" He smiled at Izuku and the two began to fight each other. Izuku was avoiding every blow and landing several on the dark version of himself.

"_You don't control me anymore._" he stood over Deku and slammed his foot into the villain's chest. Deku skidded across the ground and growled before getting to his feet.

"**_I'm stronger than you, you little brat!_**" Deku rushed at Izuku and slammed his fist into Izuku's chest, who simply stumbled back a bit.

"_You were. But I've gotten really good at facing my worst thoughts._" Izuku's mind began to grow brighter, and in the battle, All for One could see Izuku struggling to stay upright.

"Seems like I might need to help you out, my boy. Quirk Amplification!" Izuku's body spasmed to the pavement as Deku's power grew stronger. The glowing area was shut out and the black smoke grew darker as Deku grabbed Izuku by the throat.

"_**You can't beat me! I'm a part of you! And I always will be!**_" Deku's eyes went wide as he watched Izuku relax and grab Deku by the shoulders.

"_I know. I'm counting on it._" He forced Deku down onto him, and his mind went completely dark. All for One watched as Deku got up from the ground and walked towards him, eyes solid black. As the young man walked to him, he saw Endeavor rush at his former protege. Using his wind manipulation quirk, he grabbed the number one hero in a gust and slammed him onto the ground in front of him.

"My boy, prove yourself to me." All for One picked up Endeavor by his hair and held him out. "Kill him."

"_**... I've waited so long for this.**_" Deku's voice was now merged with Izuku's, and the boy activated Full Cowling. As he got into a good stance, All for One watched in pride as his protege rushed forward. But his elation was cut short when Deku moved past Endeavor and slammed a fist into All for One's mask. Getting knocked back a good distance, the Symbol of Evil looked up to see Deku attack again. A blow to his stomach sent him reeling through the air, and he activated his air walk quirk. Deku flew through the air to strike at his chest, tossing All for One back to about ten feet off the ground. As he steadied himself mid-air, he braced his arms. When Deku rushed at him, he waited and grabbed the boy's arms.

"Mind Suggestion!" All for One sent out a burst of red energy, and Deku could feel his power in his mind. "**OBEY ME!**"

"**_... Never._**"

"**OBEY ME!**"

"_**... You will never control me again. Deku or Izuku, it doesn't matter. We both hate you. The aura you give off, the powers you steal and wield, the words you say, even the symbol you are. We. Hate. It. And now, we realize something. With you, we don't need to hold back.**_" Deku slammed his head into All for One's mask, allowing him to slip out of the villain's reach. Deku rushed forward unleashing a series of blows against the villain, and brought Full Cowling up to 50%. As he landed a blow to All for One's chest, he felt his arm flood with pain. As the villain coughed, he pushed a button on the side of his helmet.

"Ujiko, send the reinforcements. I need a distraction."

"_Sorry, you bastard, but the doctor is a bit occupied._" He heard a young man answer, and looked back at Deku.

_**All for One's Hideout, moments earlier**_:

The doctor was watching the news feed of Izuku and his master fighting each other. As he turned to fiddle with a device of some kind, he thought he heard something. Looking around, he didn't see anything and turned his focus back to his work.

"Sir, we're ready to go when you need us." The reinforcements his master had gathered after Izuku's message had been delivered were all waiting in an area to the side. Nodding to them, he returned to his work. Moments later, explosions went off in three areas of the base. Bursting through were several young people in hero outfits. Ice encased the reinforcements and tape held down all of the others trying to escape. As the doctor turned to run, he was grabbed by a pair of invisible hands and slammed down onto the ground. The young heroes spread out, and several police men came in to secure the area. A young man in an orange and black outfit came over to the doctor and watched as the police put him in cuffs.

"_Ujiko, send the reinforcements. I need a distraction._" Bakugo heard All for One's voice come over a walkie talkie and grabbed it before pushing the reply button.

"Sorry, you bastard, but the doctor is a bit occupied." He smiled smugly before exploding the device.

_**Kamino Ward, now**_:

"_**Something wrong?**_" Deku smiled at him, and All for One's rage got the better of him. He created a giant whirlwind, pulling Deku closer to him. As the young man got a few feet away, All for One shot red tendrils at him. Deku felt himself being drained away, as Dark Mind was pulled from Izuku's mind. Izuku kept screaming in pain as the tendrils dug deeper into him, All for One amplifying his own power.

"You could have been so much. You could have been the one to rule this world by my side or in my place. Instead, you chose to die as a hero, to let All Might's legacy die with you. And with your death, I'll take any hope they had left. ONE FOR ALL WILL BELONG TO ME, AND I'LL TAKE WHATEVER'S LEFT OF YOUR FRIENDS' POWER!" All for One surged his power, and Izuku grabbed the tendrils. Snapping them off, he rushed at All for One. He activated One for All at 80% and began to land blow after blow on his old captor.

"You took my family from me." A blow to All for One's arm resulted in a bone popping out of place. Izuku's arm throbbed in pain, but he pressed on.

"You took me away from my home." Another blow landed on the villain's chest, making him lose his breath for a moment. More pain radiated through Izuku, but he kept up the attacks.

"You took my childhood from me." Another blow landed on All for One's knee, shattering the bones and making him drop down. Izuku felt like he was going to pass out.

"You took away my choice." A blow to the gut sent the villain flying back.

"You took away my freedom." A kick to the side sent him into the air, and Izuku jumped up. Grabbing the villain's shoulder, he readied another blow.

"You took away my sanity." He punched right on All for One's mask, shattering the front and sending him flying back to the ground.

"And you took the greatest hero ever from all of us." Izuku landed a final blow on the Symbol of Evil's chest, as All for One was slammed into the ground. As the villain got to his feet, Izuku came up and pulled his arm back.

"_One for All, 100%: Delaware Detroit Smash!_" Izuku slammed into All for One's chest and sent the villain flying into the air, as a huge surge of wind surrounded the area. Civilians took cover under Cementoss' makeshift barricades as the force continued to swirl around. As dust and wind began to die down, Izuku watched as All for One fell back to the ground. As All for One struggled to stay conscious, he saw Izuku slam his hand over his torn suit and felt a sharp pain. Looking down, he saw a red bullet sticking into his chest.

"_When did he pick it up? When he was trying to fight Deku in his mind?_"

"Now... you'll never take anything, from anyone, ever again." Izuku stared down his enemy as the Symbol of Evil looked up at him. All for One felt a surge of pain wash over him, and he spasmed on the ground. His quirk, All for One was being erased, he could feel it leaving him with all the other quirks he had amassed. All of his power, all of his strength, was now gone. He laid on the ground, breathing heavily through his mask and staring at the sky. Izuku walked over and stood over him.

"It feels horrible, doesn't it. To be weak, powerless, helpless... This is what you made me feel every day for eight years." he watched as All for One tried to grab at his foot, and slammed a fist down on the villain's mask. All for One slumped on the ground, and Izuku watched as his breathing slowed. "Consider us even."

As the pros came and took All for One away, several people behind the barriers cheered as Izuku walked to the public. A few reporters had gathered, and were now shoving their way to the front of the make shift barriers. Izuku stood in front of all of them and smiled.

"Young man! Do you have anything to say to the people watching at home?"

"The League of Villains is no more. Because we're here to handle them." He gestured behind him to the other pros and smiled at the crowd.

**_General Hospital, hours later:_**

"_The Symbol of Evil is now powerless-_" **_Click._**

"_Izuku Midoriya, a U.A. High student who was formerly an unwilling member of the League of Villains, was the one to land the final blow to the villain called All for One-_" **_Click._**

"_The mastermind behind the League of Villains has been confirmed to have his quirk permanently erased-_" _**Click.**_

"_A raid on the League's hideout secured the last of the villain's forces and resources-_" _**Click.**_

"_A doctor at the hideout is willing to give information about All for One and his operations in exchange for a lesser sentence-_" _**Click**_

"_Several heroes and police were able to arrest the remainder of All for One's forces, including the villain known as Kurogiri who is now being identified as-_" **_Click._**

"_This young man was a hostage in both mind and body to this man, and now he's beaten him-_" **_Click._**

"_\- Izuku Midoriya may just be the new Symbol of Peace-_" **_Click._**

"_A bunch of students at U.A. busted the hideout, and Izuku is enrolled there as well. Kids took down the League, what does that say about villains these days?" **Click.**_

"_\- possible love child of All Might? More-_" **_Click. _**Izuku lay down, his hero suit on the chair beside his hospital bed and torn in places. After the fight, he had to answer some questions to the pros. They had given their statement to the press, and now everything was over. The League was no more, All for One and his remaining forces had been captured, and now a new symbol of peace was emerging. Izuku looked up at the ceiling and smiled. He had won, finally he had won.

"You should be proud, young man." Recovery Girl smiled at him, taking a look at his arm before wrapping it in bandages. Both of his arms had been used during the fight, and his right was in worse shape than the left. "You've dealt a serious blow to the villains. You took their potential victory and made it into total defeat... All Might would be proud of you. Now, get some rest. You'll need it." She used her quirk once more on him and walked away. As she left, Izuku simply reflected on everything that had happened today.

**_Tartarus High Security Prison, the following day:_**

Izuku walked through the prison halls alongside Gran Torino, making his way to the cell All for One was in. He had been relocated after the jailbreak incident, now his cell rested above a giant open area. Suspended several feet in the air, he was connected to about twenty restraint cords and his bonds were completely metal. Izuku stood in front of the foot thick glass and stared at him while adjusting the sling his arm was in.

"I must admit, I am proud of you. In a hypocritical way, I am proud of what you've become. Your power and relentlessness in our battle was incredible. A shame you decided to stay a hero."

"The League is over. Since you and your operation were taken down by children, nobody in the underworld really wants to join up anymore."

"So that's why you sent your class there instead of back you up."

"I never intended on having backup. It was always going to be just me against you."

"How arrogant."

"But it worked, didn't it?"

"... Well done, my boy. Well done indeed." All for One smiled, and leaned his head back in his body restraints. Izuku turned around and walked off, never giving a second thought to the man behind him. As he and Torino made their way back through the prison, Izuku slowed his pace before stopping. One of the guards escorting him turned to him confused.

"You okay, kid?" Torino looked at him, and Izuku faced the guards.

"... Take me to Tomura Shigaraki." The guards seemed confused, but after a nod from Gran Torino, they lead the pair down a different hallway and opened up a cell to reveal Tomura behind a wall of glass wearing simple hand restraints. Izuku walked in and stood across from him.

"... So you won."

"Yeah. Tomura, I... you joined him, you wanted to be his successor. And I will always see you as a villain for that, and what you did to All Might... But I also understand you, and I feel sorry for you. If you had been helped by a hero back then, maybe you would've turned out differently. You're my enemy, but in a weird and screwed up way... you're also my friend. And I'll do what I can to get you the help you need."

"... Go away." Tomura turned around and slid his back against the glass until he was sitting on the floor.

"Goodbye, Tomura." Izuku turned and walked away, giving a second glance as he walked out the door. As he and Torino left the prison, he simply stared out the window of the car. They had been transported by detective Tsukauchi, as a safety precaution.

"So, you think you're ready for all this? All Might's legacy, the press, everyone at U.A. knowing what you've done?" Torino looked at him, and Izuku simply smirked.

"... I am. Because I'm not going to be the only symbol people have." Izuku looked out the window and thought about the rest of Class 1-A, Eri, Mirio, and everyone else who had helped him. "We'll have it handled."

* * *

_**Hey guys, author here. I'm sorry that this one is a bit shorter than most of my chapters, but to be honest I wasn't really sure how to expand it. The fight is supposed to focus on Izuku, Deku, and All for One, and I managed to do that, but I wanted to write more. The problem is, I didn't really know how to write more without feeling like it got too bogged down. I've also been recovering from minor surgery for a few days, so that didn't help me at all. In any case, the last chapter will be out sometime this week hopefully. As always, hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading.**_


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